Colossians 4:12-13

Colossians chapter 4 verses 12 and 13 for our text and study this morning. Apophorus, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, salute of 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 record that he hath a great zeal for you and for them that are in Laosia and them in Hieropolis. May God bless to us the reading of His sacred and holy word this morning. There was a rancher in the remote region of the country who asked the elder who was in charge of the district, he was a district superintendent to assign a pastor to their community. And the superintendent asked, well, how big a man do you want? Meaning how eminent must he be? How renowned must he be? And the rancher replied, well, Elder, we’re not overly particular, but when he’s on his knees, we’d like him to have reach of heaven. The rancher truly appreciated how important the prayers of a pastor would be to the flock. We’ve been considering the closing salutations of this letter. At this point, as we look at verses 12 and 13, you find the salutation here of Apaphrus, who is highly commended by the Apostle Paul. He is particularly commended for his fervent prayers for the Colossians and for others, as we see in verse 13 of this text. Now, since all scripture, is provided for us to be spiritually, to spiritually equip us for our work as the saints of God, these verses should be carefully pondered by us. There is divine instruction to be gleaned from this passage, particularly as it regards to the ministers of the gospel. Let me begin by saying this, your minister is without natural effect. if he despises his own people. We read here in verse 12, Apaphrus, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, salute of you. Apaphrus, who is one of you. Now, we learned at the beginning of the letter that Apaphras was from Colossians, and he was from Colossi, and he had visited Rome, bringing with him news about the Colossian Church. and he’s going to return and bring news to them about the Apostle Paul. He is a converted man. It was a preacher. We don’t know how he was converted. We don’t know much about him, but Paul recognizes him as a dear brother in Christ, chapter 1, verse 7. And so we see him here in our text. Now, we find here how much love that he had for his fellow saints at Christ. Colossay. He’s deeply devoted to them in his prayer life, as the text indicates. It’s not merely that he was a citizen of Colossay, but he was one of them in a spiritual sense. He is of the family of God. He is of the church at Colossi. He’s united to them by faith in Christ. They have a bond of unity with one another. It’s particularly important that a minister like Epaphrus love his own people that make up his church. Sadly, this is not always the case. Sometimes ministers abuse and harm the flock of God. They have no concern for their spiritual welfare. In Song of Solomon, Christ beloved, the church, is found sleeping in chapter 5. She’s in her bedchamber. And Christ comes evidently in the middle of the night and he knocks on her door. And he says, open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled. But alas, though Christ is patient and waits at the door, the church, after providing many excuses, as to her delay, finally, is aroused by love to come and open the door. But when she gets to the door and opens it, we read these words, I open to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone. She’s brokenhearted. And she makes a frantic search for Christ. I sought him, but I couldn’t find him. I called him, but he gave me no answer. And at this point, she runs into the world. watchmen of the city, the ministers or elders who oversee the people of God, and you would think they would be sympathetic to her cause, but the scripture tells us that they did not show compassion to her. They smote her. They wounded her. They took away her veil from her. They mistreated her. These were not good elders. These are bad elders. And they did not exhibit any love. And sadly, this is more common than you might think. Look at Jeremiah chapter 23. In verses 1 and 2 with me this morning. Jeremiah 23, verses 1 and 2. Woe be under the pastors that destroy the sheep of my pasture, said the Lord. Therefore, thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people, you have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and I’m not visited them. Behold, I will visit you with the evil of your doing, said the Lord. You should have been taking care of the flock, but you weren’t. You’re mistreating the flock. Look at the book of Ezekiel. There’s another passage, chapter 34 of the book of Ezekiel, verses 2 to 4. Son of man. prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. prophesy, say unto them, thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds, woe be to the shepherds of Israel. Israel, that do feed themselves. Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat. Ye clothe you with the wool. And you kill them that are fat. But you feed not the flock. The diseased, have you not strengthened? Neither have you healed that which was sick. Neither have you bound up that which was broken. Neither have you brought again that which was driven away. Neither have you sought that which was lost. But with force and with cruelty, have you ruled them? We can go through the scriptures, and you’ll find this repeatedly, where there are those who ought to be helping the people of God, but don’t have a love and concern and compassion for them. Godly ministers deeply care about their congregations, like a paphrus. Look with me at Philippians chapter 2. Notice what Paul says about type. here. Right before the book of Colossians, we have Philippians chapter 2 verses 19 to 21. Paul writes, but I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothyus shortly unto you that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state. For I have no man like-minded who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own and not the things which are Jesus Christ. He’s telling us that. not all those who seem to be in church office are doing the right thing. But Timothyus is a man who naturally will care for. He loves you. He’s concerned about it. This is the way your minister should be. If you’re without natural affection, you despise your people. He’s one of your own. And that should be a reason to love them. Now, your minister’s duty is to be a servant of Christ. The second thing is here, he speaks about Apophis as a source. servant of Christ. Now all Christians should be servants of Christ, but especially should ministers be servants of Christ. This is a reminder that ministers are given a sacred duty to discharge for the chief shepherd of the flock. They may be shepherds, but there’s a chief shepherd that they have to answer to, Jesus Christ himself. Remember what Paul said in Galatians 1. Do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. He says, I can’t serve Christ and be pleasing men at the same time. So what is your minister’s purpose in preaching? Is it to please his hearers? Or is it to please the Lord? What your minister says may not always be what you want to hear. There may be some hard sayings that are difficult to receive. ministers are not supposed to wet their finger and put their hand up, see which way the wind is blowing, as far as the congregation is concerned, but they are to preach the word of God. If your minister, you know, preaches to please men, then he would quickly respond and heed the complaints of the critics. Well, your sermons are too doctrinal. Your sermons are too heavy on sin. Your sermons are upsetting the people. Your sermons are too long and drawn out. Your sermons are too long and drawn out. sermons are too deep for the people. Your sermons are too negative on other religions. And on and on and on, we could go. Look at poor Jeremiah who prophesied in Jerusalem prior to the Babylonian captivity. He was mocked. He was hated. He was persecuted. He was opposed. And he couldn’t bear it. He reached a point in his despair where he said, I give up. I’m done with the ministry. As he put it in Jeremiah chapter 20 in verse 9. then said, I will not make mention of him, Jehovah God, nor speak any more in his name. I’m done. I’m finished. The task of the minister, however, is to be the servant of Christ. And doing that sometimes is hard. You’re not going to win a popularity contest. But like Jeremiah, your minister’s calling is such that you feel compelled to proclaim Christ’s message. Because later on in Jeremiah 20, he said, this is what I want to do. I want to quit. I don’t want to say another word. But the Bible says, his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones. I was weary with forbearing. I could not stay. Couldn’t help it. I have to speak. So if you’re a minister to be called as a servant of Christ, if he’s called that way, it’s a badge of honor. Because that means he’s actually a faithful minister. So your minister’s duty is to be a servant of Christ, not to please man. Third, your minister should diligently pray for those upon whom he desires God’s blessing. Now, we read here in our text that he saluted you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers. Now, your minister’s prayers are necessary to, support his public blessings. A salute we said last week was a pronouncement of God’s blessing upon someone. It was more than just a high or hello or good day. It’s more like a public prayer for your health and your happiness, sort of like a minister’s benediction, if you would, at the close of the church service. Now, that public salute that he sends is backed, we see here, by private prayer. Paul gives us a glimpse of the prayer life of Aphephras. Someone has said that eight-ninths of an iceberg is below the water line and it’s out of sight. You don’t get to see it. Only one ninth is visible above the surface of the water. Well, your minister’s prayer life should be like the iceberg. You see only a portion of it, a small portion of it in his public prayers and benedictions. But that be. should be supported with something much deeper and fuller privately as he prays for each individual in the congregation. So your minister’s prayers are necessary to support his public blessings. Notice your minister’s prayers are to be constant and fervent. He says he always is praying and he’s fervently doing it. Always in all his prayers. which were many and which were frequent, Apaphrus never forgot his flock at Colossi. Now, even though he’s at distance away, he’s at Rome, his mind is still occupied with his people back at Colossi. In his daily prayers, he’s lifting them up. There’s no time when your minister can feel secure about the flock so that he can take a break and say, well, I don’t need to pray for them. Or I’m on vacation. I don’t need to pray for it. This world’s a dangerous place for God’s sheep, and we should recognize that. Satan is ever active. The wolves, the false teachers are always many. The flesh still strives against the spirit. Temptations abound, and Christians like sheep wander off. All those things happen. and as your pastor I’m responsible look out after you. I’m accountable to God as your shepherd. Like Samuel of Old, I have to say, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord and ceasing to pray for you. The word fervent here is the word agonizamai. We get the word English word egonize. He agonized in his prayers for them. He disprove. He labored fervent. He labored fervent. for them. This implies a struggle of some kind, some type of persevering prayer for the people. I’m reminded of Jacob when he was turning with his large family back to the land of Canaan. He ended up wrestling all night with the Lord. Remember the Lord appeared to him in human form. And Jesus said, I won’t let you, or Jacob said, I will not let you go unless you bless me. The Lord blessed Jacob after such an agonizing wrestling match. So this is sort of the idea of our text. The minister is agonizing. He’s wrestling with the Lord in prayer on behalf of his people. When Israel sinned by worshipping the golden calf that they had made, Moses had to come down from the mountain. God was angered. And he intercedes for the people, remember. He met with God again. on Mount Sinai and he pleaded with the Lord to forgive the people and the intensity of his request was such that he would have God take his life but yet spare the people and while God visited the Israelites with a plague he did spare them he heard Moses interception and he continued to help them. So your minister needs to wrestle with the Lord on your behalf persistently plead for God to pour out a spiritual blessing and upon his flock. The word laboring here applies some type of strenuous effort to obtain from God what he desires. And here we get the impression. Intercession is no easy task. There’s some effort put into it. It takes some intense pleading of refusal to give up until God ultimately grants your request. So your minister’s prayers are to be constant, fervent. Your minister’s prayer should be zealous and extensive. Verse 13, for Iberum record that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hieropolis. Paul, observing the prayers of Apaphrus, testifies to the zeal that he has shown in his prayer for the flock. The Greek word for zealos is derived from a word which signifies to grow hot. The boil up as water that’s heated. There’s a product you can get to people that want natural remedies for things. It’s called zeolite. Have you ever heard of zealite? It’s lava that has run down off the volcano. I’m going into the ocean and cooled, and they grind it all up into a powder. And so you can see where they get the, where they’re taking it from the Greek, zealos here. And so you get the zeolite from that. So your minister should have an intense enthusiasm, a burning passion for your spiritual well-being. I read about when the Spartans went into battle, they advanced with cheerful songs, in eagerness to fight. When the Persians who were opposing them went into battle, you found that as the regiments came on, you could hear the crack of whips. For the Persian officer had to for forcibly drive many of the Persian soldiers forward to the battle lines. It’s no wonder that a few Spartans were more than a match than a thousand Persians. Well, your minister needs to be an enthundred. enthusiastic soldier for the kingdom of God, not a reluctant prayer warrior. It’s interesting that the word zealous here, zealos, is sometimes used in translated as jealousy or jealous, such as a jealousy that a husband would have for his wife. Remember how Paul put it in 2 Corinthians 112, for I’m jealous over you with godly jealous I got a zeal over you, a godly zeal. For I have espouse you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. In this case, Apophorus has a holy jealousy regarding the flock lest they be be galled by sake, lest they be unfaithful to Christ. In either interpretation here, you see the love this man has for the people of God, always. eagerly seeking what’s best for them. In addition, Apaphrus included in his prayers, Laodicea and Hieropolis, these saints of God. Now, these two cities were very close by to Colossi. Apophis apparently may have been involved in the planting of these two churches as well. And so he includes them in his prayers. This indicates to us that your minister’s zeal and jealousy ought to extend to others beyond the immediate flock. You must always keep in mind that Christ’s true church is found all over the world. There’s others who need your prayers in addition to your local church. I’m reminded of Christ in his high priestly prayer in John chapter 17. You notice how diligently he prayed for his little band of disciples in that particular prayer. And yet near the end of the prayer, he adds these words, neither pray I for these alone, but for them which shall believe on me through their word. Now that’s an interesting comment, because in this manner, Christ broadens his prayer to include a lot of other people. In fact, we can say, all the elect. You and I are included because did not we come to know the Lord through the word of the apostles? It’s the written word, but it’s still their word, isn’t it? It’s God’s Word, but through the apostles, and we have come to know the Lord. So he broadens it out, and Paul broadens out, or the Epaphras broadens out his prayer here for others as well. So your minister should diligently pray for those upon whom he desires. God’s blessing. And then fourthly, your minister cannot be satisfied until he sees you stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. You’ll notice in verse 12 that ye may stand, the latter part of it, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. Now the word stand here is to be steadfast, to be established. to persevere, to stand fast and not be moved away from. Paul desires for these believers not to waver, not to turn aside from the will of God. Your minister desires his people to be steadfast and their Christian walk and knowledge and not fall away from Christ. The word perfect here is telios. This word means full grown, mature, not childlike. Now, usually when one thinks of maturity, we think in terms of physical or emotional growth, teenage boys’ voice becomes much deeper and usually in regular stages, it’s squeaky high voice gives way to a manly bass voice. a beard begins to sprout in patches on the chin and face. Shaving at first is certainly a proud moment, but then, of course, becomes a wearisome task when one has to do it every day. The longer adolescence endures, the more friendly he becomes with the girls. The ones were yucky, but now he looks upon them more favorably than he did in the past. Now spiritually, your minister desires for you to mature, to grow, to be established as a man, if you want, in the will of God. Your spiritual knowledge of God’s revealed well is not to be childlike, immature, foolish. Let us be mature and adult as Hebrews 514 says, but strong meat, meat, belongeth to them that are full age, you see, those that are fully mature, even to those who by reason of use have their senses exercised, to discern both good and evil. Where First Corinthians 1420 says, Beloved, be not children and understanding, albeit in malice be you children, but understanding, be men, be mature, be grown up. It is those who are children, and the knowledge of God’s revealed will that often are the ones that are blown about with every wind of doctrine, you see. Paul desires for you to be complete in all the will of God. Complete means to be filled, full or made full, like a cup filled to the brim. Or as we read in Colossians 1-9, be filled with the knowledge of his will, filled up with it. full knowledge of what God reveals in His Word. The idea of being occupied at all times with the will of God, our daily purpose should be to carry out the will of God. And so that should be the all-consuming aspect of what we’re doing each day. So your minister desires your complete obedience to the will of God, not a partial obedience, not a half-full cup, a full cup of obedience. Let me make a couple observations here. Your minister, as well as you yourself, cannot be content with just a minimum knowledge of the will of God. Or a partial obedience to the will of God in your life. Knowledge and obedience to divine will requires God’s work within your else. We wouldn’t have this prayer. You need your eyes open, your understanding enlightened by the Lord. and you need the Holy Spirit to work within you, enable you to do by divine power, what God has laid out for you and his revealed will. So your minister can’t be satisfied until he sees you stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. Now, ultimately, when we get to heaven, hopefully we’re going to be as complete as we’re going to get at that point. But in this life, certainly our goal is to have this maturity about us, this completeness about us here in this life. Well, that rancher in that remote region of the country, one of the minister, that when he’s on his knees, he could reach heaven. He didn’t care about how famous he was or how well educated he was. Your minister should have a natural affection for his own flock. and that natural affection should certainly be shown in his fervent prayer life for the flock. Your minister should diligently pray. Your minister should be a servant of Christ, not one who goes with the opinion and flow of the people at the time. His duty is to proclaim the truth of Christ. And your minister can’t be satisfied until he sees you stand complete and perfect and complete in all the will of God. And that’s why the minister has to proclaim the whole council of God to you. Let us close.