I've Heard of You!

It feels good to sit here at my desk, starting the book of Colossians.  I began Philippians nearly six weeks ago, and being immersed in that book sustained me through some of the more difficult spiritual circumstances of my life, lately.  I'm grateful for God's sustaining grace and for His empowering direction during troubling times.  Miracles are more apparent during those times; faith is strengthened.  God is good!

At any rate, the next Pauline letter in the chronological study we've doing is Colossians.   So, onward!

4because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people—

(1:4, NIV)

9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.

(1:9, NIV)

There are a couple of mega-churches of which I have heard and would love to visit.  One is the Brooklyn Tabernacle, in New York City.  Those of you who know I'm a musician understand my fascination.  The choir there has, for years, been glorious!
The other is John Hagee's church, in San Antonio.   I ALMOST got to visit it when I was in that town for a reading convention a few years back; but, to my misfortune, Dr. Hagee was out of the pulpit that Sunday.  Bummer!

In the verses above, Paul says he has "heard of" the church at Colosse, because he never visited there, at least, he had not to this point, nor is there any record that he did later.  By this time, A.D. 60, he was nearing the end of his ministry and his life.  Paul did not plant the church at Colosse either.  It appears from chapter 1:7 that the church was started by someone named Epaphras.  Who was he?

In his New Testament Commentary1 Warren Wiersbe notes that the Colosse was a small town.  The Colossian church, a predominantly Gentile church, was started by two converts from the church in Ephesus.  Those two converts were Epaphras and Philemon.  We can reconstruct this from comparing Acts, Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon.

Acts 19:10 tells us the scope of the Ephesian church's influence.  Ephesus was a large town, large church, which "planted" smaller churches all throughout Asia.  One of these was the Colossian church, which was probably about five years old at the time Colossians was written.

"We have heard of your faith...."

What a tremendous compliment!  Here was the renowned apostle Paul, writing to this little po-dunk church to say that their faith had come to his attention.

Another point that is key here is that this (seemingly) little "nobody" church was a key player in "spreading the gospel to every creature", as Jesus had commanded.  We are often deceived into believing that the big, flashy ministries are the ones that matter.  Just this morning I was thinking about Beth Moore, for instance.  There is no doubt in the world that her ministry has been and is continuing to be mightily used by God to save souls, release Christians from spiritual bondage, and so forth.  She has been used by God tremendously in my own life!  But, my next thought was something akin to this:  my little ministry is worth less than nothing.  That was a devil-thought sent like a flaming arrow to my spirit, right there!

I assure you that neither you nor I can comprehend the scope or influence of this ministry or any other, for that matter.  Only God knows.  I believe we will be shocked and amazed if and when God reveals to us in Heaven which ministries He used the most to further His kingdom!  Most of them we probably will never have heard of!

One of my college roommates lost her father a couple of weeks ago.  He had been pastor of his church, one church, for over 60 years!!!  Yes, you did read that right!
Or, I think of my friend, whose ministry is under tremendous spiritual attack at the moment.  Who KNOWS what God wants to do with that ministry of his, in the future, when Satan is defeated in his current attempt to destroy it!
Or, there's Jim Elliot2, whose name came up in Sunday School yesterday.  Jim's ministry to the natives in Ecuador, on the face of it, looks like a terrible tragedy.  Yet, God has used that ministry to not only bring many of those Ecuadorian natives to salvation in Jesus Christ, Jim is famous around the world today for his witness and his martyrdom.

So, my fellow believer, don't think that you are a "nobody" for the kingdom.  God knows you.  He knows your heart.  He knows the extent of your love for Him.  He wants to use you in ways that you cannot even imagine or even see with human eyes.

Be faithful.

"We have heard of your faith...."

Father, You know the name of each of us, Your children.  We may believe that what You have called us to is insignificant or, even....silly!  But, only You know the true impact of our callings, faithfully fulfilled, to Your kingdom.  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven!  May each of us shrug off the enemy's arrows and re-affirm in our hearts the spiritual callings you have placed on our lives today.  Grow our faith exponentially, Father!  In Jesus' name, amen.

Sources:

1   Wiersbe, Warren W., and Warren W. Wiersbe. The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete New Testament in One Volume. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2007. Print, p. 658.

2  End of the Spear, 2005.