And this morning we're going to be continuing on in our look at these friends of Paul and friends of the church who are being sent to Colossae. So we turn our attention to actually three people. Two people we'll focus on and one person is nothing else really. written about this person's name as Justice or Jesus. All we know about him, he was friendly and he was a compatriot and a supporter of Paul and the Gospel. We're going to be turning our attention on to Aristarchus and Marcus. Marcus known also as John Mark or Mark. Some of you may know him by the gospel that he penned under the influence of the Holy Spirit. So we turn over to Colossians chapter 4. I thought I was there, but I'm not. So Colossians chapter 4. We'll pick it up from the beginning again. Colossians 4, verse number 1, and we'll go through the end of the chapter. It says, "...Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven. Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving, with all praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds." that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how ye ought to answer every man. All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother and a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate and comfort your hearts. With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you, they shall make known unto you all things which are done here. Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, saluteth you. And Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, touching whom you received commandments, if he come unto you, you receive him. And Jesus, which is called justice, who are of the circumcision, these only are my fellow workers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me. A papyrus who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth 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 them that are in Laodicea, and them in Heropolis. Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you. Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea and Nymphos, and the church which is in his house. And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. and say to Archippus, take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it. The salutation by the hand of me, Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen. And Lord, we just pray that you would add your blessing to your word this morning. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Well, before we dig into verses 10 and 11, I want you to take notice of verse 18. It says, the salutation by the hand of me, Paul, remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen. Now let's go back to verse number three for a second. It says, with all praying also for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also... in bonds. Amen? Why was Paul in prison? He was in there because of Jesus Christ, because of the mystery. But yet, he would tell the Philippians this. He says, in all things, I'm content. In all these, whether no matter what state he was in, he was content because of what Christ did to him, or for him, and to him. He was content because though he was in physical bonds, he was free in Christ. So enter Aristarchus. Look what it says here in verse number 10. It says, Aristarchus, My fellow prisoner saluteth you. Pay attention. He's saluting you because he desires that you would know Christ as he does. Now this guy Aristarchus, he's found in a couple of places in the scriptures in the book of Acts. He was with Paul in Acts chapter 15 during the riot in Ephesus. Remember that one in 15 and 16, where Paul was literally almost torn asunder and by God's grace, he ended up in jail with Silas. And also Aristarchus was there. He was right in the battle with Paul. Aristarchus also journeyed with Paul on his third missionary trip. So he ended up being in prison once again. Literally, you want to sing the words, some through the water, some through the flood, some through the fire, and all through the blood. This was Aristarchus. He was just a guy that would just go out and he would get in the fray and join Paul and be a comfort. Whatever Paul needed, Aristarchus was there to help him in those times of need. And they were great. Paul was often in chains, often bonds. He was often hungry. And Aristarchus was right there with him. That's why I know the kids were cracking up about the illustration I used on the bulletin today, youth or experience with this baby in a full man's suit. I looked at the difference between Aristarchus, a mature man that just went out and did what he needed to do. And we have a contrast with Marcus or John Mark. You may remember also what happened with John Mark. What was he most famous for? before the gospel of Mark. He was most famous for wanting to go, but Paul sending him away. But now at this point in Paul's ministry, as well as at the end of his life in 2 Timothy chapter 4, John Mark is now profitable for the ministry. See, what happened with John Mark was there was a space of about 12 years where Paul thought that he was unfit for the ministry. I believe this is why Paul would write to Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter 3, that a bishop must not be a novice. Otherwise, he's carried away with his lusts. And those lusts just aren't physical or sexual lusts. Those are lusts for anything in the world. And this is why Paul deemed Mark or John Mark or Marcus not to be able to go on a journey. He had to go back home to his mother, back home to be with Barnabas's cousin, because John Mark was his nephew. This is the contrast we have here. Aristarchus being a tough guy, being with Paul through the uprising in Ephesus. He was on ship with him, in prison with him. And here they are mentioned together as both being, says literally verse number 10 here, or verse number 11, says, in Jesus, which is called justice, who are of the circumcision, these only are my fellow workers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me. What it means there about these only, these are the only Jewish people, the only people of the circumcision that have been a comfort to me. And look at the difference. Aristarchus jumped right in it. John Mark was young, he was weak, and he did not, what's the word I'm looking for? He did not end up going with Paul on the missionary journey. What had happened now, John Mark, it was 12 years later at this point where Paul is commending him that he is a faithful servant unto Him, a comfort unto Him. We tend to lump people together. Let's look at these two people, Aristarchus, the go-getter, and John Mark, the guy that would take years. You know, every Christian, what an example this is. Every Christian is on a different growth pattern. I was trying to look for the right words to it. Every Christian is different. It would take these years of trials, Years of tribulation for even John Mark to grow Christ. That's what we're commanded by God. We're commanded by Jesus to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Some of us grow fast. Some of us grow slow. John Mark needed to grow up. As I said, I could have used that same graphic elsewhere in 1 Peter as well. To grow into salvation. Remember this, you do not need anything else for salvation but believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. I should say believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. There's nothing else for you to do. However, some people grow fast, some people grow slow. You have all of Jesus Christ if you're saved. Amen? Now it's a process of Him getting all of you. Because what happens with us, we're hard-hearted, we're stiff-necked, we're all of those different things described. But yet, it's the grace of God that comes to us that reveals who Christ is through not only circumstances, trials, but He reveals us mostly through His Word. Amen? Remember the old slogan, when the going gets tough, the tough get going? Well, that's what John Mark did. He got going, he ran off. But literally, in Christianity, here's what the truth is. When the going gets tough, the tough get staying. Staying on the firm foundation of Christ Jesus and Him alone. So Paul and Aristarchus, Aristarchus was there from day one, always faithful. John Mark took a good solid 12 years to prove. that he was faithful in the Lord. I find John Mark to be an encouragement for all believers that may get down on circumstances, on trials, may get down upon themselves, but John Mark knew that he had or found that he had a patient God. What's 12 years anyways? Amen. It's like that. Ministering what John Mark, remember he would later pen the gospel of Mark because he had become good friends with Peter, become an accomplice with Paul. He would write one of the four most famous writings in the history of the world. But yet, What we find out, he was not a very visible person. We had Paul and Peter and James. Those were the visible guys in the church. Even Barnabas. But Mark or John or Marcus, he ended up being faithful, comforting Paul. It may seem like a little thing, but in the eyes of the Lord, it's a big thing. Ministering isn't always glamorous, is it not? We get an image of ministry being always on the forefront, always visible, but ministering unto the Lord could be something like washing the toilets. That is a ministry. Comforting the saints. We all have an obligation to be a comfort one to another, as John Mark ended up being with Paul. Ministering requires experience. It requires not being a novice. One of the tragic things that John Mark is a good example of, he just was not ready to face the toils that he would face. He'd have to climb. He couldn't just jump into his private jet as people do today. They would have to climb through mountains and go without food or drink. He was not ready. I'm afraid even today, the modern church, there's so many people that are so young in the ministry, and they fail because they're not prepared for the hardship that comes along with it. Experience is important. And John Mark hadn't it, but yet, when he had the experience, he was commended by the Apostle Paul. What a great example that he is to us. Never give up. Never give up on that person that you know. Say, Lord, why don't you just get a hold of him? Well, the Lord's got his teeth into him. The Lord hasn't given up on anyone. The Lord desires us to know Him and to fellowship with Him and keep our eyes focused upon Him. Let's go over to Psalm 73 for a second. Psalm number 73. I was just reading this last night. I hadn't planned on it. Let's start with verse number 12. This is the plight that so many of us face. It says, behold, these are the ungodly who prosper in the world. They increase in riches. Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning. If I say I will speak thus, behold, I should offend against a generation of thy children. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me, until I went into the sanctuary of God. Then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places, thou castest them down into destruction. How were they brought into desolation as in a moment? They are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream, when one awaketh, so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. So foolish was I and ignorant, I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless, I am continually with thee. Thou hast holden me by thy right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth. But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For lo, they that are far from thee shall perish. Thou hast destroyed all them that go to whoring from thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God. I have put my trust in the Lord, that I may declare all thy works. See, the point here that I want to try to circle back to is the position that Paul was in, a position of being in jail for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and having no one except for these few people that cared for him, how he could have thought the same thing. Look, everybody in the world is getting away with sin. I've been righteous as the psalmist, but now I understand what's going on when I seek you in your sanctuary, that you have a future for them. You'll take care of them. Such is the status of the Apostle Paul. He knew. He knew his only comfort was the Scriptures. He knew that his enemies would be taken care of. And he knew that those people, even those he saw as his friends, they would one day betray him. We look a little further in Philosophians chapter 4, We see Demas, which we'll look at later. Here, he's held in high esteem, but by the end of Paul's life, this tragic thing is remembered, Demas. For he has forsaken me. What tragedy that had to be for the Apostle Paul, that somebody that could be loved by him and co-minister and co-labor would forsake him. Demas wasn't actually forsaking Paul, he was forsaking the Gospel and running from the will of God. John Mark was the opposite. He had run away, but now he is found to be faithful. And oh, how that can change when your perspective is based on who the Lord is and what his ultimate plan is. Not just for your life, but your plan for the world as well. We need to always remember that yes, we have John Marks around us. We have Aristarchuses around us. We have Onesimuses. We have epaphrases. The bottom line with this whole section of scripture is that there are different people with different personalities. Some grow slow, some grow fast, some are big, some are short, some are tall. But yet, there was one unifying factor with all these gentlemen that are mentioned. Do you know what that is? Salvation. They belonged to Jesus. They could sing with us, now I belong to Jesus and Jesus belongs to me. Amen? You can't sing that song and mean it unless you know the Lord Jesus Christ. So to see this picture of these different people and how they function together, yet they're different. See, the body of Christ, I originally entitled this, I originally entitled this as a family snapshot. There's different members of the family, yet they're all family. The family of God is made up of so many different types of people. and how you get to be removed from the family, it's because of your getting away from the one that keeps you together, Jesus. So may we look at the example here of Marcus or John Mark. Look at what it says here, back to Colossians chapter four, verse 10, once again, Aristarchus, My fellow prisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, touching whom you receive commandments, if he come unto you, receive him." Now, Paul puts that in parentheses for a reason. Paul is pointing out that this is the same person, no matter what you've heard before, he is a changed person. Evidently, they heard, oh yeah, got this John Mark guy. Boy, don't take him in. He'll run away. He'll do this. He'll do that. But Paul is commending him. Don't pay attention to his past. He is a redeemed child of God, and he is profitable. Amen? May we look at our past. Some will say, don't look at your past, always look to the future. We need to look at our past. We need to look and see where we were. Where were you not only when God saved you? See, God saved you but once. And oftentimes, because we're all different, we don't really follow Him. We don't really trust Him. We've trusted Him for salvation because salvation is free. There's nothing you can do to earn that salvation but believe the Gospel. So when we trust Him and we realize that yes, we are profitable to God based on His grace, And He desires us to be just like John Mark, no matter where we were, that we are profitable to Him, as well as to others around us. So touching whom you receive commandments, if He come unto you, receive Him. Don't pay attention to the old news. Think of yourselves. how trustworthy or lack of trustworthiness you may have had. But now in Christ, you're trustworthy. Think of the old man that you were and think of the new man that you are through Christ Jesus. This is the lens that Paul has on John Mark. Don't give up. You have loved ones who aren't saved. Don't give up on them. If you have loved ones that are saved, but yet reject the counsel of the Lord, don't give up on them. God will not do that. God desires them to grow in Christ Jesus. Verse 11, and we'll finish up here. And Jesus, which is called justice, who are of the circumcision, these only are my fellow workers under the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me." He saves the unknown guy for last. He saves the guy that there's nothing else in Scripture written about, and he has them with these two opposites in personality. You know who justice is? Just us. I just made that up, it's pretty good. Justice is just us. Justice is that guy that nobody pays attention to. But yet, when you're faithful to the word of God, he's profitable. That's nothing too little for you to do for God or for the benefit of God. I was thankful this morning. I walked in, it was a hectic morning. I walked in, the coffee was made and the communion cups were out and the sternos were on. I was like, I was jumping. It's like, yeah, all right! So I was having a, had a late night and early morning and running around this morning to get out. I'm like, ah, gotta do this, gotta do that, like that. That was a comfort. It may seem like a small thing, but it's a big thing. in the eyes of the Lord and in the eyes of the body of Christ. There was a gentleman that sometimes comes and he's not able to do a lot physically. He was looking for God's will. He said, you know what you can do? You can come into the building, you can turn the lights on. That's a ministry unto the Lord. You can comfort somebody. As these gentlemen did, as Paul was in jail, They were there to comfort him. And no, we can't make any kind of, we can't look at us being in a jail circumstance. That would be taking advantage of the scripture. But whatever state you're in, remember, you originally sent Onesimus to show what state. My state shall ticket this and then skip it on to Onesimus. They were there to claim or proclaim what condition Paul was in. And then they were to bring that word back to the Colossians and say, look, Paul, though he's in bonds, he's safe in the arms of Jesus. Amen. Our ministry, we have together, is a ministry of comforting one another. May we take the example of Aristarchus, those that just jump in and do. Take the example of John Mark, who took a long time for it to finally click. I always say that. When's it going to click with so-and-so? It's going to click. It's going to click. One day they'll catch on. Click. I can't do anything about it, but God can. It's what happened with John Mark. than justice or Jesus, a symbol of humility, the unknown man who was faithful with the other billions of believers in the world. Amen. That's us. I want to be like justice, just being deemed as being a comfort unto Paul. May we have that desire. Not that we can do great things for the Lord. The Lord's the one that has done the greatest thing by sending His Son. But that we would trust Him and just do as He desires us to do. It starts with being a comfort to those around. The days are getting short. I have no idea when the rapture is going to happen, but it could be any time now. Paul ends 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 with these words, comfort one another with these words. Amen. That's why we come to church. It's not so you can be pumped up like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it's so that Jesus can be pumped up and that we know who he is because he is our only hope. Our duty is just to share it with others. In the church house and out of the church house. That Christ is our hope. Look to Him. Amen. We're gonna take communion here and I just, for communion, I wanna have us this morning turn to Ephesians chapter number one. I said, wait a minute, this isn't a regular communion verse, is it? No. Ephesians chapter number one. And I just want to just read a few verses here. Verse number three says, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." We can be blessed. We can be thankful for that blessing. That's what the meaning of communion, the Eucharist in some religious circles. Again, we need to take back that Greek word and have true communion. According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence. I'm going to end it right there for this morning. The grace of the Father is freely given to us. And the redemption and forgiveness of sin is through the riches of the grace that His Son Jesus Christ has given to us. And the idea of being given to us is that He's lavished on us. We have all of the grace of God available to us through the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We don't, as some religions teach, you can get grace sacramentally as you do different works. The more works you do, the more grace. We have been given the grace of God lavishly or super abundantly through Jesus Christ. Sadly, we so often go on and say, oh, but by the grace of God go I. Oh, by grace I'm saved, which are all true. I just want to have us look this morning at it being so important to know that rather than just an aside that often we do. I do it all the time. Oh, yeah, I'm saved by grace. What does that mean? It's such an abundance that we've been given through Christ Jesus. Grace is at the very heart of the gospel, and that's what communion represents to us. What Christ's death, burial, and resurrection did for us It took the gap away between our wickedness, which all of us were. We were all wicked. We were all separated from God. And He took that away. And in place of that, He's given us His holiness, His righteousness as a free gift. When we get talking too much about taking grace for granted, We prop ourselves up instead of God. What we remember through the elements of communion today, we have a picture to remember what He did on our behalf. He took, Jesus Christ took His Father's wrath that was due to us, and He took it upon Himself on the cross. At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart was rolled away. It was there by grace I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day.