Address—Jim Hyland
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Let's start this afternoon with 312. Lead on, Almighty Lord, lead on to victory. Encouraged by Thy blessed word with joy, we follow thee. 312 If someone could please start it.
We follow.
Pray so, I.
Let's ask God's help and blessing our blessed God and Father how thankful we are this afternoon for Thy blessed Word and the encouragement we receive from it. We thank thee for that which has been before our souls already today and now as we open and read it and meditate on it again.
We pray that there might be those portions that would again refresh and encourage our souls. We think of this meeting being scheduled as a young people's address. We pray that there might be a special portion for those who are young, but we pray that there might be that which would encourage each one of us so many needs here, lambs and sheep. We think of each one of us at different stages of our spiritual and physical growth, our God. We pray that there might be that which would edify us and build us up.
We thank thee most of all for the Lord Jesus Christ, who has made it all possible and is in his name. We pray and give thanks. Amen.
By way of introduction to some New Testament portions that I have before me this afternoon, like to read a couple of verses in the Old Testament in Isaiah chapter 40.
Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 30.
Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall.
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as Eagles. They shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. In a few moments we're going to go to the New Testament, and with the Lords help, we're going to look at four men who are brought before us in connection with Paul's ministry. For men who were not told a great deal about, but in some way they encouraged and or exercise the Apostle Paul.
In his ministry and in his pathway here. But I read these two verses here at the end of Isaiah 40 by way of introduction.
Because while three of the four men were not given specific details as to their age, one of them, we are told, was a young man. The other three were not specifically told. But we're going to apply them in that way. As has been noted on our schedule, this address is particularly for our young brothers and sisters who are younger, those who are starting out in the path of faith and service and you know, when I was growing up and going to meetings like this as a young person.
I was always thankful for a special meeting where the young people were addressed, because I used to sit in meetings like this and wonder how am I going to get along through life. There's a lot of trials and difficulties and young people. If you think it gets any easier as you get older, not a chance. In fact, as you get older, they'll be, and I don't say this to discourage you, but there'll be more burdens and exercises. There'll be things brought to bear on your soul.
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And I want to encourage you this afternoon, because as we said this morning, the resources that we have in Christ are available all through our lives. I like what the Psalmist said, David said in the 37th Psalm. He said, I have been young and now I'm old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. We sometimes sing a hymn through every period of my life, thy goodness I'll pursue, and so wherever we are in our Christian pathway.
Boys and girls here. There are those we refer to as young people. There are some who are raising families, some who are a little further along in the path of faith and service. But through every period of our lives and no matter what the circumstances, His Grace is sufficient.
But we find here a special word at the end of Isaiah 30 in connection with the youths, he says. Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. If we were to stop at the end of this verse, it'd be a pretty discouraging message, wouldn't it? We'd have to say, well, there's no way, there's no hope. How can we get along through the circumstances of life? But he's going to go on and tell us here at the end of this chapter what the secret of spiritual energy and continuance.
Really is, and that's what I want to encourage our hearts today, because as we had this morning in connection with Timothy, Paul later on said to Timothy in that second epistle, continue thou. He and he wouldn't have said continue thou if there wasn't going to be the resources and the power to do it. We read in in John's epistle two of the young men, and they had strength. They had power not because they went to the gym and worked out twice a week.
Certainly nothing wrong with that, but their power and strength was because the word of God was abiding in them. And so he says, But but we don't have to faint, we don't have to fall in the Christian pathway, he says. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
You want strength for your pathway. You want power for your Christian life. It's only going to come by resting on the Lord Jesus. And then he brings before us three different conditions here. He says, first of all, they shall mount up with wings as Eagles. You know, we talk about soaring like an eagle. And when there's a problem, why the eagle? He rises above it. He soars above the problem. The Lord can help us to do that.
He can give us us Hinds feet so that we can leap over the wall. He can give us wings as Eagles so we can soar above the problem. But maybe there's a young person here this afternoon and you say it's okay to talk about soaring like an eagle, but I just can't seem to get above the problem. Well, there's something else. It says he shall run and not be weary. And a running person, maybe they can't get above the problem. But David said, by my God have I leaped over a wall. That's Heinz feet. That's to get over the problem, you say. No, I just can't do it. The walls seem so great.
But he also adds, by my God have I run through a troop. We're not going to see the removal of the enemy. We're not going to see the removal of the troop, Satan and his hosts. But we can run through the troop. You can't get above it. But the running person, he runs and he finds daily strength as thy day, so shall thy strength be. You say I'm not even running. They shall walk and not faint. Maybe you are this afternoon, just down to walking in your Christian pathway.
You can't soar like the eagle. You can't run like the athlete, but you're down to walking. They shall walk and not faint. And so we're going to go to the New Testament and we're going to see some men. And as I say, these men, some of them were a great encouragement to the Apostle Paul. Some of them were a burden and an exercise. Let's go, first of all to the Book of Colossians.
Colossians Chapter One.
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Colossians Chapter one and verse 7.
As he also learned of Oregon, if you notice the new translation from Epifras, our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ, who declared unto us your love in the Spirit, and then hold your finger, we're going to come right back here. But go to the 4th chapter.
Chapter 4 and verse 12.
Epifras who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you always.
Laboring for you, laboring fervently for you in prayers that you may stand perfect and complete in the will of God. For I bear him record that he hath great zeal for you and them that are in Laodicea, and them.
In Heropolis, and one more portion in the book of Philemon.
The book of Philemon and the 23rd verse.
There saluteth the Epiphros, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus. These references that we have read in connection with this first man I want to touch on Epifras are the only references we have to Epiphras in the word of God. And yet I believe they are a great encouragement to us. I'll just say this about these individuals that we read of in Scripture.
Some of them were told a great deal about there are men like Daniel in the Old Testament, the Apostle Paul and others, and we have a great deal of insight into their lives. Sometimes pages and pages taken up with their history, and it's certainly instructive and written for our learning. But then there are other individuals, men and women and young people that we only have a short statement or a few brief statements concerning.
And the difficulty sometimes is that these individuals, we often Passover very quickly, always spend a great deal of time meditating on the life of Daniel. Rightly so. We spend a great deal of time considering the life of Ruth and some of those women that were told a great deal about Esther and so on, and rightly so. But I want to just encourage you, in passing, to notice these individuals that sometimes there are just a few brief statements about.
Because no word of God is idle. Every word of God is pure, and if he makes a statement for some about someone, even mentions their name, notice the statement or the context in which it is made, you'll find it will be very, very instructive. And so we find this man Epifras, brought before us. Now, when I think of Epifras, I immediately think of a man of prayer. Again, we often consider those individuals of prayer in Scripture.
But here was a man of prayer. And yet there are some other things told us about Epiphras that ought to characterize each one of us. And these are things that encourage the heart of the Apostle Paul, and that Paul realized were a great blessing to the Saints first of all. And we didn't read the context in the first chapter of Colossians, but we find if we were to read the context, that Epiphras was a minister of Christ.
When Epifras spoke to the Saints, he spoke to them of Christ. You know, that's a good exercise for all of us, young and old, when we speak to one another, do we speak of the things of Christ? Now don't misunderstand me, young people. I'm not saying we shouldn't enjoy natural things. In fact, I get a little concerned sometimes when there are individuals who can't seem to enjoy natural things, and it is good sometimes to just chit, chat together, and so on.
But does our conversation eventually come around to Christ? Have we enjoyed something in our souls of the person and work of the Lord Jesus that we can share it with others? Epiphros. As a minister of Christ, he sought to encourage the Saints of God, and that's what we need today. Often we get together and we speak of things that discourage. Brethren, there's enough to discourage today.
We don't have to look for things that discourage today. There's plenty on every hand, and I'm not saying that we ignore things that sometimes have to be taken up and discussed and dealt with for the Lord's glory and so on. That's not what I'm saying. But when we get together, let's seek to share something of Christ, one with an with another. You young people, when you spend time in the dorms at night.
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When you're together and with social media, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, with that, but use it to encourage your fellow believer in the Lord. And So what had Paul heard of from Epifras? It's not so much in the seventh verse of the first chapter that they learned of, but it's from.
Because when Epifras spoke to the Saints, he spoke to them of Christ. And when he spoke about the Saints to the apostle Paul, and I suspect anybody else, what did he do? He spoke of those things that he saw as positive in the Saints of God in that wonderful when he talked about the Saints at Colossae. When he gave a report to the Apostle Paul, he gave a report of encouragement. He spoke of what he saw of Christ in his brethren.
And we need to seek to do that. So often we get together and we say, well, you know, brother, so and so, Well, I better tell It grieves me to tell it, but I better tell you this. And sister, so and so she said this and she said that, oh, let's be careful, brethren, Let's when we if we can't say anything good about people, sometimes it's better to say nothing. When we speak about the Saints of God, we need to ask ourselves some questions. Is it true?
Is it necessary? Is it for the glory of God? And so Epifras, he had declared de Paul the love of the Saints. It's interesting. This is a little aside from our talk, but it's interesting that in the eighth verse, when it speaks of their love in the Spirit, it's the only time in the book of Colossians that we have the Spirit of God mentioned. We might ask ourselves why is it the only time that the Spirit of God is mentioned? Because I suggest that in the book of Colossians.
The Saints here at Colossae were losing their focus as Christ, as their object, as their head, and the main burden of the epistle to the Colossians is to bring before them Christ. Recently at a Bible conference, we took up this first chapter of Colossians, and I appreciated how different ones brought this very thing out, that it's Christ that our thoughts and our souls are directed to because they had lost sight or were losing sight.
Christ as their glorified head. And so He does mention the Spirit here. But it is the only time in the Epistle, it's Christ that is brought before us so beautifully throughout these these chapters. Well then, as I say, we find where we read later on in the 4th chapter.
We find that Epifras was a man who labored in prayer.
When he spoke to the Saints, he ministered Christ. When he spoke about the Saints, he spoke of their love in the Spirit and those things of Christ that characterized them. But he didn't stop there. He went to Christ and spoke to Christ about the Saints in that. Beautiful to see Do you and I, as we said this morning, seek by grace to do that? I'm going to mention something that really encouraged my heart. Recently I had the privilege of being at the camp in Michigan.
For a few days, and I think the thing that encouraged me the most was a little talk after the last hymn sing by a young brother who brought a laminated map of North America. And he pinpointed Grand Rapids on that map and he read a verse, I think, about prayer. I can't remember exactly which one it was. And he said, here we are today in Grand Rapids. Who are you praying for? Well, maybe you're praying for somebody over in Cuyahoga Falls. And he had a.
A magic marker. And he drew a line from Grand Rapids to Cuyahoga Falls. And then maybe you're praying for someone over here. And he drew another line.
And he kept doing that. And his point was, What does your prayer map look like? Who are you praying for? Is our if we were to draw lines on a map of the world, or any part of the world this afternoon, would our prayer map be a web of lines? It ought to be. I appreciated that. I I enjoyed that. I thought, what a good lesson for all of us, young and old. And so we find Epiphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ.
And he was a servant of Christ. He ministered to the Saints. But he didn't just minister to the Saints as a servant of Christ. He was a servant of Christ in praying for one another. You know, that's a service that we can all carry on for the Lord and the blessing of the Saints of God.
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Perhaps there's a young person here and you say. You say, well, I just don't feel I've got a public gift. I just don't feel like it's given to me to some ministry publicly well be exercised. Maybe later on there will be a public ministry given to you. Only the Lord Himself knows. But in the meantime, you can labor in prayer for your brethren. And I take it when Epifras got alone with the Lord that He didn't just pray for the Saints in general.
You know it's good to pray for the Saints in Scranton and Smith falls in Vestal and wherever. We know there are Saints of God in a general way and that's good. But do we know what it is to pray for one another name by name and need by need? And not only that, do we know what it is to, as it says here, labor in prayer. Epifras didn't just mention the Saints names in passing, but I suggest there was real supplication involved.
And he knew many of the needs of the Saints of God. And I have no doubt he got into the presence of God in his closet.
Alone in his room. And he prayed name by name and need by need for the Saints. And so he's Epiphrasu is one of you, a servant of Christ saluted you, always laboring for you in prayer.
You know, I suggest too, that one of the reasons we don't always see the answers to prayer that we ought to is because we give up too easily. Epiphras was one who was always laboring in prayer for the Saints. I've been struck recently by a little expression in some of the epistles in connection with prayer. It appears several times, and that is continue continue in prayer and watch in the same.
Do we know what it is to continue in prayer? You know, sometimes even in our prayer meetings, I notice we pray for someone, we mention them on a Tuesday night or whatever night it is, and we pray for them maybe once. Maybe the next week we remember somebody remembers to pray for them again and then we move on. But do we know what it is to continue in prayer? I believe, as I say, we would see more results to prayer, more answers to prayer, if we would continue.
And what was Epifras praying in connection with the Saints? He was praying that they would stand perfect and complete in the will of God. He was praying that there would be growth and spiritual maturity amongst those that he was ministering to. Again, I believe we alluded to it this morning, but it's one thing to minister to the Saints, and I'm not talking now just about in a venue like this or a reading meeting like we had this morning.
But you know, we can all minister to one another as we have been saying. But as we minister to one another, do we spend as much time praying that those that we have the privilege of ministering to will grow and develop and that there would be spiritual maturity in their Christian lives? Now it's interesting when you go through Paul's epistles and you read of Paul and others who were praying.
It usually isn't in connection with the trials and difficulties and circumstances of life. Now don't misunderstand me. It's good to pray about the trials and circumstances and difficulties of life. And if our brothers and sisters in Christ are going through those kinds of difficulties, how good it is to pray for them in that regard? But you find that more often the Apostle and people like Epiphras were praying for the spiritual well-being.
Of the Saints of God, do we remember to pray in that way for the people of God? How about those that are at all the assembly meetings, those that show a real desire to go on for the Lord, You know they're a special target of the enemy. When I see a young brother or a young sister who has a real desire to please and serve the Lord, I say in my own soul there's a special target of the enemy. The enemy doesn't want to see you go on for the Lord. And if that is true?
Then we need you need to be a special target of prayer for prayer as well, because prayer is that great preserver and that power that we that we have. And Epifras was not only praying for those in his home assembly in Colossi, but as it tells us here, he had a burden for neighboring assemblies too. He knew brethren that Laodicea, he knew brethren at Heropolis, and those were assemblies that were facing problems and difficulties as well.
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There were real needs there. He knew the enemy was not only going to attack his brethren in Colossae, but in other assemblies gathered to the Lords name. Oh don't forget your brethren, wherever they are, to labour, to labor for them. And So what an example we have of a man of prayer. In fact, to my own soul he's one of the most outstanding examples in the New Testament of a man of prayer as Daniel is in the Old Testament.
But there's something else about Epiphros that we read in Philemon, and that is that he was a fellow prisoner.
Of the Apostle Paul. You know, we find as we know, those who associated with the Apostle Paul in his ministry and in his missionary trips. It was one thing to be associated with Paul the missionary.
It was great to be associated with Paul the preacher, but it was quite another matter to be associated with Paul the prisoner that was reproach that would even put one's life on the line. And if I can just apply it this way, Epiphras was one of those men who was willing to suffer a little reproach to be identified with Paul and the ministry that Paul had given. Are you and I willing to identify with Paul's ministry in that way?
At the end of Paul's life, Paul had to say all those in Asia are turned away. You know in the first epistle there were some who had turned away, but in the second epistle where it brings us right down to the end, it says all they. Now I know there were a few mentioned at the end of Second Timothy there, but isn't that a a sad statement? Again, it was one thing to be identified with Paul at liberty, preaching the word of God and going on those missionary journeys.
But there were not many, many who were willing to associate with Paul when it came to some reproach. And so if you and I are going to go on and enjoy the ministry that Paul brings before us, if we're going to walk as citizens of heaven with the hope of the Lord's coming before us as gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and so on, it's not going to be popular. I know there's a great movement today in Christian circles to make Christianity acceptable and the popular thing and so on.
But true Christianity is not going to be popular. The Lord Jesus said if they've hated me, they will hate you. Also, we read the servant is not greater than his Lord. And so it's Pauls ministry that identifies us with a glorified Christ in heaven. And it's Paul's ministry that's going to give us the proper character of Christians here, and there's going to be a reproach connected with it.
Well, what an example we have in Epiphras. May you and I seek by grace to follow this beautiful example. Just a few short pithy statements made about Epifras, but recorded for your encouragement and mine.
Now I'd like to go to another man in Acts chapter 20.
Acts, Chapter 20.
And verse 6. And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to throw as in five days.
Where we abode 7 days, And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the Morrow, and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eudicus being fallen into a deep sleep. And as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
And Paul went down and fell on him, and embracing him said trouble not yourselves, for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread and eaten and talked a long while even till break of day, So he departed and they brought the young man alive and were not a little comforted. Well, there's no doubt in this portion that this is a young man that's brought before us. And it's a beautiful story. Just again we read the context. We don't have time to comment on each verse. It's particularly Uticus I have before me.
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But we find here the Apostle Paul and those who were traveling with him. They came to Troaz. Now I believe, if we notice the account carefully, they probably arrived in Troas on a Monday. And maybe I'll just say this in passing. Secular history tells us that Troas was a dark heathen city. They were worshippers, particularly of Jupiter, but the light of the glorious gospel had penetrated that dark city and many dark hearts.
But they arrived I believe on a Monday and they stayed till the following Monday and we might ask ourselves why did they spend a whole week in Troas? Well there may be other thoughts but I've just appreciated in this way so much.
Did the Apostle Paul and those that were traveling with him appreciate and value the privilege of remembering the Lord Jesus in the breaking of bread with those in fellowship at the Lords table, that they remained there a whole week so they could have that blessed privilege on the first day of the week. Then as we as it says they left the next day. They left on a Monday having been there seven days.
And so we find they come and they have this blessed privilege. Now I don't suppose while it's it's true, it says that Paul was long preaching. I don't suppose he preached as long as those of us in the Western world might think he did. I've had the privilege of being in other parts of the world.
Where Lord's Day is not recognized in the way, it is here still, thankfully, to some degree at least in North America. And there are many of our brethren in other parts of the world who have to come together on Lords Day evening to remember the Lord and for fellowship and ministry.
I've just been in Egypt this summer, and our brethren in Egypt have to get up and go to work, and if it's school, time to school on Lord's day. Friday is the Muslim holiday, and so they meet at 8:30 at night to remember the Lord. And so I don't think Paul preached as long as we think he did because these, these brother no doubt were servants and employees to ungodly masters. Troas being a heathen city, Lord's Day wouldn't have been recognized the way it is.
Here in North America, and I have no doubt they had obligations that day to their masters and their employers. But after their obligations were done, I love to visualize these Saints winding their way through the dark streets of Troas with one thing before their souls.
To climb those stairs to the third loft so that they would have the privilege of remembering the Lord Jesus that Lord's day evening. Because the Spirit of God is very specific in telling us why they came together. They didn't come together to enjoy happy fellowship with one another, although they had the privilege of doing that. They didn't have the they didn't come together to have the privilege of sitting under the ministry of the Apostle Paul.
They did have that privilege, that Lord's Day. They didn't come together to see those of like precious faith who were visiting from another area. They did see visitors on that occasion, but know the Spirit of God is very careful to record. They came together on the first day of the week to break bread. Is that our joy? Is that our privilege as we think about tomorrow morning? Is it our anticipation to be at the Lord's table, to partake of the Lord's Supper, to sit down in his presence and answer to that request that he has made?
This do in remembrance of me, and amongst those who were gathered in the third loft in the upper room, we find there was a young man named Utica's. And we're not told, but I'm going to assume for a moment for our purposes this afternoon, that Eudicus had the privilege of remembering the Lord Jesus. On this particular occasion we find too He had the privilege of sitting under the ministry of the Apostle Paul, but he wearied of all that.
And not only did he weary of Paul's ministry, but he decided to sit down in a window. In other words, if I can put it this way, he wanted to keep one eye on what was going on in the assembly and one eye on what was going on in the world outside. One year tuned to the ministry of the Apostle Paul, and one year tuned to the world outside, and you might say, wasn't there a 5050 chance that he'd fall either in or out of the window? Young people, it doesn't work that way if you leave your heart open for the world.
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If you want to keep, as it were, one foot in the assembly and one foot in the world, it's going to drag you down to the level of the world eventually. We can't say, well, I know how far to go. Or I can walk the about I can keep a balance or walk the line. No, I want to encourage you. We see what happened with Eudicus. As a result, he begins to fall asleep.
You know, falling asleep in meeting is a process, isn't it? Rarely are we wide awake one minute and sound asleep the next. Usually our eyes get heavy, our head nods, then it comes back up. We try to move a little bit and squirm, and hopefully it'll wake us up. And then if we allow it, it'll happen again. And eventually you might fall sound asleep in meeting. And in that regard, I'd like to say a word to all of us.
And this exercises my own soul. Why wasn't there somebody who saw the plight of Utica? Somebody who could have gone over and put their arm around Utica and said, Utica, you're in a very dangerous position. Why don't you come over and sit by me? You're falling asleep. Your head is nodding. You know, it might have saved Eudicus, the fall down to the level of the street. He might not have appreciated it. He might not have moved.
But I have often wondered why it is that we wait till we see someone leave the Lords table or drift off into the world before we try to encourage and help that person. Maybe if we sought to be more of a help to them, an encouragement to them, a shepherd or a pastor. Maybe it would spare them from from a fall. Maybe it would spare them from some bitter experience.
And so Eudicus, he began drifting off. He started to lean toward the outside. Eventually he was sound asleep, and he fell down to the level of the world. And when they went down to see Utica's, to all outward appearances it looked like he was dead.
Isn't that a sad condition for a believer? It's like it says in Timothy. The Lord knoweth them that are his, and I have to hang my head and say that there are those I have known, some I have grown up with, and I have to leave them with the Lord. There's never been restoration and I have to say the Lord knoweth them that are his. But the happy ending to this story is that Paul goes down and embraces him. You know, it's interesting that he doesn't embrace Paul.
Paul goes down and embraces him. I know there's no doubt a dispensational character to what we have here, but I want to keep this as practical as possible this afternoon. You know, when we take up Pauls ministry and let it embrace and get ahold of our souls, that's what's going to give us life. That's what's going to bring us back up. That's what's going to cause restoration.
If we have fallen in our Christian pathway, and so Paul goes down and embraces him, confirms to the local brethren that his life is in him. And I love this little expression when they they brought the young man alive and were not a little comforted. You know, the was the local brethren at Troas that escorted Uticus back up to the third loft. It must have been a happy thing, you know It's not a happy thing when one falls out of the window, so to speak.
One gets away from the Lord and leaves the Lord's table and never comes back. That's not a happy thing, but it is a happy thing when there's restoration. And so we find that it was the local brethren here that brought him back up. Paul confirms that his life was in him. Now I want to be very careful. We never want to drag someone back to the Lord's table before the time. If there hasn't been a work of God in the soul, we only do more damage to them and to the assembly.
But here there was a confirmation from the apostle Paul, and the local brethren took the responsibility to restore Utica to his brethren and to the third lot. And no doubt there was rejoicing that night as they partook of a meal together and enjoyed happy Christian fellowship. Well, the grace of God in restoring is as limitless as the preserving grace of God. And how wonderful it is. Maybe there's a young person here, or someone not so young.
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You've got away from the Lord, perhaps? Oh, there's restoration. Read. Get the word of God out. Read it. Read Pauls ministry. Read your Bible. Let it embrace you. Let it get ahold of your soul. You'll find, like David, he restoreth my soul. And it's a very wonderful thing not only for you, but it'll bring joy to your brethren as well. Now let's go back to the Book of Colossians for another man.
Colossians Chapter 4.
Colossians Chapter 4 and verse 14.
Luke, the beloved Physician and Demas greet you again. Hold your finger here. We'll come back to this portion, but once again in Philemon.
Philemon and the 24th verse Marcus, Aristarchus, Dimas, Lucas, my fellow Laborers. One more portion in Second Timothy Chapter 4.
Second Timothy Chapter 4.
And verse 10.
Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica creations to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me.
For the Ministry, I'd like to speak now for a few moments about this Mandemus. Again, we're not told a great deal about Demas, but we find here in the first two references that we read that is in the end of Colossians and the reference in Philemon, he's listed with those who labored with the Apostle Paul. You know, it must have been a wonderful thing to labor with the Apostle Paul, but you know God still has a service for each one of us, as we heard this morning.
And I want to encourage you who are younger to take up the service of Christ and to begin by doing it in conjunction with those who are older and have experience. When I was younger, I appreciated being able to participate in gospel work, Sunday school work, hobby, class work, different mission work with those who were older when I first had the opportunity to go to the Caribbean.
Those first four years that I had opportunity to go, I was thankful for an older brother who took me and introduced me to the work and to the brethren in that part of the world. It was of great value to me, and I learned a lot from him. This is just a little aside, but an older brother who's long with the Lord told me one time, he said. Jim, in my day we raised horses and we didn't take two young Colts and seek to train them in the same yoke or harness.
We always took a young colt and put that colt with an older horse, and that older horse spoke that Colts language. And if that colt tried to get out of line, that older horse would often reach over and nip its neck or in some way make it realize that it wasn't doing what it ought to do. And I've thought of that in connection with those that labored with the Apostle Paul and others. And So what a good experience it is.
Perhaps I'll just say to those of us who are older, it's good to give our younger brethren that opportunity to learn the service of Christ in that way. But what a wonderful thing it must have been for Demas you say, tremendous to travel and to be listed in the word of God as a fellow laborer of the apostle Paul. But you know, there's a sad history commentary in connection with Demas at the end of his life. Again, up until the second Timothy, just two short statements concerning him.
In Colossians, where we read, he's listed with Luke, and in Philemon he's listed with Luke and Mark. And then we find that these three men are listed again in Second Timothy together. That is Demus and Luke and Mark. Before I comment specifically on Dimas in connection with what we have in Second Timothy, I'll just say this that these three men brought together on more than one occasion, I believe teach us a great, valuable lesson.
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That is, we have Luke. You know, Luke was one who began well and ended well because at the end of the apostles life, only Luke is with me. You know I love that statement. Because who better to be with the Apostle Paul at the end of his life than the beloved physician? God didn't forsake his servant. Paul had faithfully served the Lord for so many years and when he needed physical comfort and help the most.
God made sure that not only was there one with him who had gone on well all those years and could minister Christ to Him.
But one who could minister in a practical way to who better than the beloved position to be with Paul at this time? And then there was Mark. You know, Mark was one who who began badly but ended well. Mark now was profitable for the ministry. But if we were to go back to the book of Acts, we would find that there was a time in the life of Mark when Paul just felt that he wasn't up to the missionary journeys.
He sent him back. We know there was a problem between Paul and Barnabas as a result of it, but nevertheless, Paul faithfully felt that he wasn't ready. And so we find that Mark now is restored and he wants to have Mark because he's now profitable for the ministry. And then there's Dimas. You know, Dimas started well, but he ended poorly. And we never read in Scripture of Restoration.
In the in the pathway of Dimas Dimas, Dimas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world or this present age. Now you'll notice that the Apostle Paul doesn't say this present evil world or this present evil age as we have in Galatians.
No, it was. I don't believe it was something evil that Dimas went away into. It wasn't something wicked that took his heart away, but something became between Demas and his desire to serve the Lord and to be identified with Paul the prisoner, again, as I say, was one thing to be identified with Paul the missionary. Quite another thing to be identified with Paul the prisoner and how the apostle Paul felt it. His heart sorrowed as he thought.
Of Demas, who no doubt at one time had been a great encouragement to the apostle, Paul had helped him in one way or another, and now his heart had been taken away and he no longer followed on. I'm not saying Demus didn't follow the Lord.
But he wasn't willing to identify with the Apostle Paul. You know, I have known many who have gone on happily for many years in the assembly, though been gathered to the Lord's name. And I'm not saying they've gone off into a wicked world, but something has taken their heart away. I'm not going to say they're not following the Lord, but something has taken their heart away from that which the apostle Paul has presented to us.
I realized when it says all day in Asia forsaken me and Demas had forsaken him and so on I'm I realized it's in actuality here. But we apply this in connection with the truth and the ministry of the Apostle Paul today. Are we willing to follow on again? I say in connection with what the apostle Paul has presented to us? Are we like Eudicus who had wearied of it all and fell out of the window? Are we like Demas? Who?
Heart was taken away into another path. Oh, let's be careful.
If that's true, if we feel those tugs from the world in another direction, perhaps even, shall I say, the religious world, oh, let's be careful. And so Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present age, and he had departed again. He hadn't departed into some wickedness, but he had departed in identifying with the apostle Paul. But I want to end on a little happier note than that, and so I want to look at one more man.
And we're going to go to the book of Philippians to look at him.
Philippians chapter 2.
Philippians, chapter 2 and verse 25. Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and companion in labor, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and he that ministered to my wants. For he longed after you all, and was full of heavy and heaviness, because the he had heard that he had been sick, for indeed he was sick nigh unto death.
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But God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. And then notice another reference to this man in the 4th chapter.
Verse 18 But I have all, and abound I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.
Well, here we have this man Epaphroditus, and he was a great comfort and cheer to the apostle Paul. We noticed in the verses that precede this morning that Paul speaks of Timothy and he had no man like minded who would naturally care for the Saint state of the Saints of God.
But here was another man who had a similar exercise, a pafford itis. And the apostle Paul could in confidence send a Pafforditis to the Saints at Philippi. Why? Because he knew he'd minister Christ to them. He knew that he would encourage their their hearts. Paul wanted to come himself, but he was hindered. At this time he was a prisoner of the Lord, but thank God he had men that he could send with with confidence.
And so he speaks of Epaphroditus. And I want to notice five things that characterized A pafford itis, 5 things that encouraged Paul and gave him confidence in sending a Pafforditis to the set. Back to the to the Saints at Philippi you notice in verse 25. Yet it's I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus #1, my brother, and that wonderful. You know, as I look out into this room, I see my brothers and sisters in Christ.
It's a wonderful relationship that we have been brought into. You know, we spoke this morning of how maybe there's some here and you've been saved from perhaps a ungodly home or circumstances, a non Christian background and you've had to leave brothers and sisters and mother and father and so on as the Lord exhorted his disciples. But you know you've been brought into new relationships and sometimes in Christianity we're closer.
To those that we are brothers and sisters in Christ with than those that we are brothers and sisters and other family members in the flesh. And so Paul could address a Pafraditis as a brother, but then there was something else and companion in labor.
He was not just a brother in Christ. He was a fellow worker in Christ. You know, I have been thankful, especially as I get a little older. I have been thankful for young people who have been fellow workers in Christ, those who have helped in some practical and physical way. I'm not old, but I'm getting a little older and my energies are beginning to wane a little bit. I've been thankful for young brothers who are willing to pick up that suitcase of Bibles, willing to shoulder that box of literature.
And help in physical ways. And so the Apostle Paul, he was thankful that Epaphroditus was a companion in labor. But then something else. He was a fellow soldier. Because it is a battle, isn't it? We're not home yet, and we are exhorted in Second Timothy and other places in connection with.
Being sold good soldiers of Jesus Christ, I'm not going to stand here near the end of this meeting and tell you it's easy to follow the Lord.
I'm not going to tell you it's easy to associate with all that Paul brings before us. These men that traveled with Paul, they had a lot of hardships, too. When we read about Paul and all the things he passed through, why his fellow laborers felt many of those things, maybe not to the same degree, but many of those things, they knew what it was to be in the sea and to be shipwrecked and to be brought up to the council and all those things. Yes, we're still in an enemy's land.
We're still in a war zone. Satan and his hosts are opposed to everything.
That is, of God and of Christ. And in the measure in which you seek to be faithful to the word of God and the things you hear this weekend at these meetings, you're going to have to stand as a fellow soldier of the Apostle Paul and of Jesus Christ. But then we find, too, that he was a messenger. Isn't it wonderful to be a messenger? You know, it tells us in the Book of Proverbs that as cold as cold snow.
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At at at the right season.
So is a faithful messenger, and everyone of us can be faithful messengers. The in the Book of Malachi we find a messenger. Malachi's name means messenger. He was right at the end in the Old Testament, the last messenger that God sent. And he was a faithful messenger to present the burden that God had for his people at that time. Then we find too that he was he ministered to the wants of the Apostle Paul.
You know, we often, when we think of ministry, we think of speaking the word of God, and certainly that's part of it, but actually as we find from the reference in the 4th chapter.
Epaphroditus, as a messenger, brought some practical help from the Saints at Philippi to the Apostle Paul, and you know, he hazarded his life to do it. He was sick nigh unto death, and Paul was encouraged that the Lord had answered his prayer and raised him up.
But he ministered to the Apostle Paul through the Philippians.
In a practical way, you know, there's many practical ways we can be ministers of Christ. Are we willing to do that? In fact, I'll just say this to those who are younger. I suggest that those who minister to the Saints of God in practical, even mundane ways when they're young are those that God raises up for a greater service later on. Those who stay after meeting and arrange the tables for the meal, those who help clear up the dishes and.
Wash up after the meal at the meeting room. Those are the kind of young men and women God is going to entrust more to in a coming day. I've noticed those who just drift outside and throw a football around, and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but often those are the ones that God never entrusts anything more to because he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful in that which is much. And so Epaphroditus was a very faithful servant.
In connection with the practical and temporal things that the Philippians wish to send to the Apostle Paul and it was an odor, a sweet smelling savour. He made a sacrifice. The Philippians made a sacrifice. He made a sacrifice. And how it ministered to the needs, the practical needs of the Apostle Paul at that time OB exercise. There's many things that you can do in a practical way. I had a young person recently bring some things for me from one conference to another.
Some things I couldn't carry in a carry-on bag. I believe there was a young brother who ministered in a practical way, and I believe he's going to get a great reward in the coming day. Maybe a greater reward because nobody knows who he who he is and nobody knows what it was, but he'll get a reward for doing it for the Lord. It was a great service help help me out in a difficult situation, and it was a great service for the Lord. And so it's not the greatness of the service.
It's not how public it is, but it's doing it under the Lord. Not to do I service as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, knowing that of the Lord, ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. While we've looked at these four men very quickly, there are certainly many others I'll encourage you to go through.
Paul's ministry and the acts and notice these ones that are just mentioned, scattered here and there. Just a time or two. Notice their context, notice the little things that are said about them and be encouraged to go on quietly for the Lord in these last days and perilous times, knowing that it is valued by the Lord Himself and there's a great blessing for your soul now and a great reward in a coming day. Let's pray.
Our God and Father, how thankful we are for these men and their history, so carefully recorded here in the word of God, for our learning and for our instruction. We pray that we might learn these practical lessons. We commit ourselves to Thee in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.