Christ Over Teamwork

In the conclusion of Paul’s letter to Colossae, we find a list of names. This section of scripture shows us that Paul was not a loner. Every name listed in this passage is the name of a valuable member of the team! Paul was able to accomplish the mission of God to spread the good news of Jesus by working together with this team of people.

As the Church of today, we are also called to work together with one another to advance our mission.

The Mission

But what is the mission, exactly? Our mission, given to us by Christ in Matthew 28:19-20, is to make disciples (or as we call them, committed followers of Christ). If you identify with this mission, you are part of the team!

As part of this team, two questions we have to ask ourselves are:

• What is our ministry?
• How do we fit into the team?

The Problem with Teams

It can be tempting to sit on the sidelines and not get involved in the mission because working with other people can be messy. We are all sinners, so working together means we’ll inevitably run into difficulties. We’ll offend and be offended by one another.

We must work together and strive for compassion, generosity, and acceptance of one another. To make disciples, we must be willing to overlook offenses and forgive each other.

Paul’s Team Members

Here’s an overview of the team members mentioned in Colossians 4:7-18.

• Tychicus: He was Paul’s traveling companion and a trusted servant of the Lord. He helped with many different tasks, including delivering letters to churches, bringing collection money to Jerusalem, and a fill-in pastor.
• Onesimus: He was a runaway slave who accepted Christ after running into Paul in Rome. He is called “a faithful and beloved brother” who is fully accepted to their team despite his criminal past.
• Aristarchus: He willingly went to prison with Paul.
• Mark: Mark had deserted Paul and his companions during their trip to Galatia. But later, he is restored to the team.
• Justus: Justus was a fellow Jew with Paul. He was a comforter to Paul because they shared a similar story of being abandoned by their culture for what they believed.
• Epaphras: He was a “tireless worker” for the early Church. He planted churches and prayed fervently for all the new believers. He was committed
• Luke: Luke was a gifted physician who accompanied Paul and used his skills to serve others.
• Demas: Demas was unfaithful to the team, abandoning them for his “love of the present world.” (2 Tim. 4:9)

Conclusion

The church is built on the shoulders of millions of believers who are doing their part. We each have gifts and a ministry to fulfill. To advance the mission, we need to be aware of who we are surrounding ourselves with. Are we surrounded by critics, moralists, or people who are content sitting on the sidelines? Or are we surrounded by people who are passionate about Christ and spreading the gospel?

Surround yourself with people who are passionate about the mission, consider your gifts, and ask God that He would help you fulfill the ministry that He has given to you.

*This blog post was adapted from Pastor Bobby’s sermon on 5/22/2022. You can find the sermon video below.