One of you

Colossians, Colossians chapter 4 please. I certainly am going to divide the time and that is something that preachers maybe are not the best at. Sometimes they're a little wild on additions and multiplications but sometimes dividing and I understand to be 50 minutes that's left in this meeting that means 25 for each and throw in three minutes for a hymn so that'll be the time I will take.

Colossians chapter 4 please. Just as something I've been personally enjoying of late and just want to share with that with you. Colossians chapter 4 verse number 12.

Epaphras who is one of you. Now if that's all I read that would suffice for really what I had before me but I would like to finish the verse A servant of Christ saluteth you always, not occasionally, not when he's feeling good, not when he's in the right mood, always laboring and you'll notice in your margin of most Bibles they give the word striving fervently for you in prayers that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God and for the sake of reference just back to verse number 9 he says with Onesimus of all people a faithful and beloved brother who and again the expression is one of you they shall make known unto you all things which are done here. That little expression one of you in my mind I think that's very sweet very commendable doesn't say that great gospel preacher that people like to hear that tremendous teacher the word like Apollos that drew the crowds and that would be sent for to teach the Word of God.

A man by the name of Epaphras who is one of you. I think that would be a very commendable epitaph on anybody's grave. One of you.

Something very sweet about it. Something very tender about it. Let me ask you today and just challenge your heart if I was to speak to the responsible of the leading the oversight brethren in your assembly and and said now would this describe that brother one of you what would be their reaction they say well used to be now we don't know where he may show up he comes here when he has to outside of that he could be anywhere you don't think that happens well maybe it doesn't here in the Midwest as you come back where I live from with all the things that we have going for us in the East at times unfortunately this happens one of you just one of you that's all you know it's lovely to think of this man Epaphras he's a man that is found in the first chapter of this lovely epistle very interesting very teaching in depth very profound epistle he's found in the first chapter as a commendable recognition of their and he's found in the last chapter to I think that I would speak for all of us today especially my contemporaries it's nice when it comes to assembly testimony of wherever you inform part of assembly testimony it's nice to be found in the first chapter the Apostle spoke of those that were found in the first chapter when he wrote in 1st Corinthians chapter 5th chapter 16 and he is reminding them of those that had refreshed them he spoke of those early days and of men that were found in the first chapter men that he had baptized men that it continued and they were found in the last chapter as well some of us brethren and sisters could be closer to the closing of that last chapter than ever we realized all of us really the Lord could come even while this conference is in progress and that chapter concludes I would like to think that that chapter would conclude whatever way whether it be by the rapture or by death whatever it would be I would like that chapter to conclude in my experience just simply being known as one of you you see you would make a search and and go through your Bible and then and find a man by the name of Deiotrophes I did say Deiotrophes that be one of you oh no no he's never one of us he's the man that commands he's the boss everything goes his way he's not one of you then you'd look maybe at the conference and you'd see that man cleaning up in the dining room and maybe he has a very big position with a company during the week but when it comes to the responsibility of the conference in the cleaning of the plates or last weekend in Bridgewater Nova Scotia and I'm sure here in stone as well handling the garbage just looking at it I just think of a brother that we know very very well very very dear man just whether you know he there he is he's picking up but not what everybody was throwing I just just handling the garbage okay no he wasn't that clean job passing out the plates nothing against you if you pass out plates here we're glad to get our plate but just to watch Andrew and just to see the smile in his face and and we know him he's a brother John Meekins home assembly and I can say concerning that brother stand here today and say he's one of you one of you that's sweet I think that's something we could really strive for because that's what this man would strive for just to be one of you it's interesting that the context of this epistle apart even from what was going on and what they're being the believers were being bombarded with there's something that's very interesting you'll find only in this epistle and the Apostle is concerned about the the oneness of that company he is very very concerned about their standing about the order he uses the word Texas which is a military term and he uses the word salute again in this particular epistle is a military term and he is concerned about them that's why when you go back to earlier you'll read in chapter 2 of verse number 2 he says that you would be knit together knit together now he says that's your work but then when you go later in the chapter and he speaks of hearts being covered being knit together and so on and to all riches of the full assurance of understanding knowledge by the mystery of God and the Father of Christ that knitting together that was God's work God has brought you together and isn't lovely to look around and that testimony of which you form a part of it and realize that even though there may be temptations that you know I could be brother would appreciate me much better if I was over there but that's not where you are you see that's something that this man Epaphras understood it was never an issue it was never a it was never a thing in his life he just understood the value of that being knit together mind at one time when it was in the Chicago Tribune there's a few years ago and I think was on your July 4th holiday weekend a particular weekend mr. Billy Graham spoke at the the Lincoln Memorial spoke to a large company he spoke about a fear that he had for this great country the United States of America and the analogy that he used was a picture that he saw there was a young girl her name was Betsy Ross every good American knows who Betsy Ross was and what her aunt Sarah taught her her aunt Sarah taught her how to sew and one of the first things that she sewed that will never be forgotten was your famous American flag if you were to go down to Philadelphia area I'd go over to to Pennsylvania from New Jersey one of the bridges you across would be the Betsy Ross Bridge often thought about it there's that bridge and it's it's uniting two states that sometimes you know but a little bit that that never happens does it your assembly or between assemblies New Jersey and Pennsylvania are linked by the Betsy Ross Bridge and in between those two is a lot of turbulent rushing waters but there's something calmness about there's a common sense just driving over the Betsy Ross Bridge anyhow Mr. Graham as he was speaking was drawing the analogy of just what that flag meant and over the caption of that in the Chicago Tribune it said this time to check the stitches see that time to check the stitches you know what his concern was that nationally this nation would start to disintegrate would start to pull apart and he touched now it may have had a bit of a of a political slant to it I'm not denying that but I'm just using it as an illustration here is a man a religious leader obviously and there's voicing a lot to his credit but hey the man's remained clean okay give him some credit I know he wouldn't do everything we do I'm not just not going there today well one thing I want to say brethren and sisters I think it's time we check the stitches see here was a man by the name of a pathos and there was no there was no a bump in the stitch here there's nothing that was tore here here was a man that would remain just one of you now you go to a man by the name of Demas you'd say hey Paul Demas Demas remember your first time you mentioned both Demas he's uh you know with you with Luke the physician and Demas fellow servant and then the next time it's just the bare mention of his name and then the last time he has mentioned Paul says Demas he has forsaken me there was a time when you looked at Demas and said one of you he's one of you couldn't say that today brethren that's been the case too often that has been the case too often when there have been those that we would have said one of you just one of you I think it's lovely to I think I can speak for my fellow preachers fellow laborers today that really when it comes to assembly testimony we just want to be one of you we are prepared I hope we are prepared to roll up our sleeves at any time and just get down the trenches and work with you believers now I just know that that has been so delightful here in Iowa and other places too and stout just recently and here Cedar Falls a year before to work with these brothers and sisters and you know something they respond to it they respond to anybody that will simply just just stay at their level okay not coming to their level not coming down to their level we were never above their level you see what he uses the word saluted here it's interesting that that word is never used to salute someone below you okay it's used between God and Christ taking his place at the right hand of his father being saluted one is equal it is also used in the New Testament as saluting someone that is above you here's a man that esteemed another better than himself even though that may have been difficult to do but he would salute them as his equal I think that's the life I think that's commendable about this man I would say let his tribe increase we could never have in our assembly testimonies too many men like the like an epaphras one that would just of whom it would be said he is one of you one of you what well he's one of you and company okay he was there well you are reading about the the the church and you're reading about the word prayers here notice that it's not prayers just not singular not that he did not pray for them individually and personally he did but it says he powers who is one of you a servant of Christ saluted always laboring fervently with you in prayers now I looked that up just looked that up this recent week and that is the collective thought that would have kept a prayer meeting that you didn't look around say he's always here he was there and when it was permitting it well that you didn't say well you know we don't expect them they just don't do prayer meetings this man did to be one of you that's where you will be he was what one with them in company when it came to the trials when it came to the difficulties when it came to what they were faced with he was one of you he's not one that just well things didn't go his way so he takes off he doesn't like what the brethren are planning so he's going he didn't like the color of paint they used where they painted the hall he's out of here oh oh you say you're playing you're overstating that I am NOT I am NOT I am sorry to tell you that I'm more than one occasion I've had related to me shocking because someone didn't like whatever the color of the carpet wasn't a little you know I get along well because really I'm colorblind now I go for my medical for my pilot's life is licensed the doctor knows that he says you don't do this do you I said no I don't do that oh you push it down signs the license off but he says you can tell the lights can't you I tell lights so you wouldn't worry about me if you wanted I would I wouldn't know okay the only thing I wouldn't know I admit to you I told the brethren they were using too light a carpet in Sussex I said it's gonna show the dirt too much when they did their renovations but they did the renovations they made the decisions not me I still think the carpets too light but anyhow just don't ask me what color it is and I didn't go back to them say now listen you brother down on your knees and admit you're wrong the brethren are very slow at doing that you know that because this fella is too one of you how about you fellow preachers here today is that who you are when you come home you want what you don't administer meeting do you what's wrong with the Bible reading what's wrong with just helping the assembly what's wrong with just just sliding in there and just being one of you permitting comes one of you he's there no matter what it is one of you in other words it's not the last place you want to go to I'm standing sitting here saying that and I've been just lately thinking just giving I guess after visiting my mother's grave here while I was here in stout and I've been just crunching some numbers together and just the time that I spent I have spent away from home and I don't I didn't think I spent that much away from home and I just did the calculations of what likely would be left in normal life expectancy without something tragically happening or without the coming of the Lord how much time that I really would have to spend at home to enjoy my wife and our two cats and I come to realize wow that could just be months because you see someone said to me here a while ago this is home McCandless if you stay as hard to the right as you are it actually might limit your movements what I said to them hallelujah hallelujah I have more places invited me last year I could ever get to and likely the coming year as well I will go home I will enjoy my family what's wrong with that you know something else I'll enjoy my home assembly I would have to tell you I pardon the personal reference but who I don't from stout we went home to tired dogs I want to tell you we were tired and it was Thursday night it was prayer meeting night and I don't share I taking John over to Nova Scotia flew back to st.

John and my wife picked me up and it was a quick bite of lunch and it was prayer meeting night when I missed it for nothing wouldn't have missed it for nothing not only to be welcomed home you know how he's welcomed home just one of you just one of you listen young brother with whatever God has before you young sisters as well we don't over you look you dear young sisters you older ones you want to go in for something in the assembly just be one of you what are you just being a paraphrase one of the company he was one in compatibility notice what he said what is said concerning him a very lovely commendation it's really said earlier of you he says the Apostle speaks of as a dear fellow servant dear fellow servant he's a very compatible individual nice to have brethren that are workable compatible not this thing okay we got by everybody else got one more to go this is a big one you know what's he gonna say that's not a one of you that's one by yourself that's you against everybody else that will not cause assembly testimony to thrive or survive brethren we're gonna make it we're gonna make it we need all we can our brethren and sisters old and young what are you you gotta check the stitches you coming apart here you contributing like you should to the local assembly of which you formed apart now you say you don't understand the circumstances I might I don't understand all of this book teaches or preaches either but I do understand the value of a man like a paraphrase he would be one in their company one in their compatibility and one compassionately what have you compassionately you know nobody ever left us nobody ever left us and said just too much compassion there they're just too caring nobody ever left us for that reason brethren and sisters you know we can become so tough and so hard and I remember one time you know just covered on my mind I don't think I've told this off a platform but brother Leroy Kramer and I were at the I think it was a Glenn Ewan conference we had these ten seats and they were hard and Mr. Arnold Adams got up to speak and I have to tell you I'm not sure what he read but he started off his first comments were we're one tough bunch he looked around everybody and people knew Mr. Adams knew that he repeated it we are one tough bunch and he I think I'd have to check with Leroy maybe three or four times he repeated that what he said time we softened up a little bit man was absolutely right he was a man that was not only one of their company one of their compatibility but he says he's one compassionately one that was part of that great fabric and understood it understood you had to be careful don't allow something to snag it don't allow something to spoil it you know how it is come on you fellas like your designer sweaters and that sort of thing and also there's this thread you know you think oh boy it's done now there's one one thread just to keep you warm I would wear my boys wouldn't just one thread out I mean you're gonna throw the whole thing out yeah but it doesn't look right oh that's on you how about the pattern that he has given us and I no longer want to be one of you so not only that but he says this he pampers who is one of you a servant of Christ interesting he would he would serve them but ultimately serve Christ in other words here's a man had a right grasp or right understanding that you know I'm not doing this for them that's just what they want I'm serving Christ understand they're likely down there working in that kitchen now we're up here enjoying the comfort of this auditorium they're serving Christ the simplest the most menial task something that's not even seen here at this conference you're serving Christ and nice to be a servant of Christ this is a man that is one of you now remember don't leave that he says he is one of you a servant of Christ saluted you you guess you his equal he's not looking down on you he saluted he acknowledges you he actually esteems you better than himself then he says oh he's labored fervently the word for fervently there's the word for agonizing the word for striving it just doesn't pray I remember brother so-and-so hope he moves away no that wasn't him he agonized for them in prayer he maybe saw dangers coming in the life of a believer and he wouldn't be around to everybody else what was going on he would be fervently praying agonizing in prayer do you ever do that for another brother in the assembly another sister this is a nice one those come to say you know I pray for you every day I think that's I think that's priceless brother we need it not just us servants that seek to serve the Lord so you a servant today but he says he labored he agonized in fact it's the same word that is used of the Lord Jesus at his prayers he prayed there in the garden and interesting to notice I think our brother Portman mentioned that at the Antioch conference about the disciples they slept with the Lord prayed you know they did not fall asleep because of the length of his praying it was night I would suggest you they fell asleep because of the depth of his praying there was a depth to his praying that those disciples couldn't grasp here was a man and he would do the same he would agonize for them laboring fervently for you agonizing for you in prayers that you may stand perfect not than him he says that you might stand perfect and complete in what in the will of God isn't that sad when there's two wills that that collide and clash and as we've already been hearing from brother Scott certain things you know I don't think I can pray about this you know it's just not too comfortable I mean you imagine Jonah praying right before said I'll listen Lord this is I know but this is my plans okay you know could you bless them I want a safe journey didn't know he's going to see world didn't know how he's gonna get there but you know oh my you're praying on oh so you step up to him on the wolf and say let's take anywhere with Jesus I could safely go no no no not just now okay that was yesterday that was last week not now but Jonah you're serving Christ maybe later just not now now you did later after some awful experiences he ultimately did serve him let me conclude let me keep to the time this was all that you can remember from what little comments I had made this morning I'll tell you would make our assembly something they'd never been before I could just leave the Waterloo Cedar Falls conference with this desire brethren I want to be one of you