In Colossians 4:7-18, the Apostle Paul closes his letter to the church at Colossae, with ten “Shout Outs” to friends who were with him on a mission across Asia Minor. A Shout Out is simply a public acknowledgment of good. Paul closed most of his letters with a list of shoutouts. These were one or two-sentence acknowledgments of their contribution to his ministry and life.

These shout-outs from Paul remind us that he was not alone. And neither should we try to be as we live life and participate in God’s mission. Christianity is about relationships. The church is simply a group of friends that are pursuing God’s mission together. Jesus had the twelve. Paul had around 35 that he mentions across all of his letters. The model is Friendship + Mission. There is no such thing as solo Christianity.

Paul’s fourth Shout-Out goes to Mark. Evan McGinty gave a great message on John Mark’s life at my church recently. Here’s what we know about Mark:

• Mark is on the 1st missionary journey with Paul, but for some reason, he abandons the team.
• On the second missionary journey, Barnabas and Paul disagree about Mark’s usefulness. Paul did not want him to go. Barnabas (possibly his cousin, and the encourager in chief) did. Their disagreement leads to a split. Two teams form. One with Mark and one without Mark.
• Years later, Paul, who we last see rejecting Mark, is writing his epistles and he shares some words of redemption. He calls Mark a “fellow worker” in Philemon. And he comes right out and says that he is “useful” in 2 Timothy.

So what can we say about Mark? He got back up. Though he abandoned the team once, he proved his usefulness once again. He didn’t let the regret, the awkwardness, or the fear of others’ opinions keep him from getting back on track with God and the mission. He grew through his own failure and regained the trust of his companions. He didn’t stay down.

Also, Paul didn’t keep him down unnecessarily. Though Paul expressed doubt about his character. His doubts weren’t permanent. He allowed Mark to return to the team.

You may have experienced both sides of this story.

1. We’ve let our church or group of friends down and worried about what might happen if we try to go back.
2. Or, we’ve had a friend or partner let us down and wanted to banish them from our circle of trust forever.

Neither is the wise path. Redemption is at the heart of the gospel and believing in redemption means we can get back up when we fall and we can trust and partner again with someone who has fallen.

God has a long history of using people who fell down. If we actually believe in the gospel and in the power of God to restore, we must be committed to helping others get back up and allowing others to get back up and be used in ministry again.

No one can say – I’ve never fallen down. No one can say – I can never get up. We will all need grace and mercy and redemption at some point in the journey. Let’s be grateful to God for its abundance. And let’s abundantly share it with others as needed.

In Colossians 4:7-18, the Apostle Paul closes his letter to the church at Colossae, with ten “Shout Outs” to friends who were with him on a mission across Asia Minor. A Shout Out is simply a public acknowledgment of good. Paul closed most of his letters with a list of shoutouts. These were one or two-sentence acknowledgments of their contribution to his ministry and life.

These shout-outs from Paul remind us that he was not alone. And neither should we try to be as we live life and participate in God’s mission. Christianity is about relationships. The church is simply a group of friends that are pursuing God’s mission together. Jesus had the twelve. Paul had around 35 that he mentions across all of his letters. The model is Friendship + Mission. There is no such thing as solo Christianity.

Paul’s third Shout-Out goes to Aristarchus. Here’s what we know about Aristarchus:

• He was from Thessalonica (Acts 27:2). A busy seaport city along the Roman Road.  
• He was with Paul during the Ephesus riot (Acts 19:21-29). The silversmith Demetrius, out of fear of losing his business making statutes of Artemis, riled up the city against Paul and his companions. Aristarchus was drug through the city and threatened.
• He traveled with Paul all the way to Rome as a prisoner or just a companion (Acts 20:1-3; 27:1-2). Which meant he went through a harrowing experience with the sea, that ended in a shipwreck on an island called Malta.  
• He was a fellow prisoner and fellow servant of Paul’s. It’s unclear if he was also arrested and sent with Paul to be tried or if he was just traveling with Paul as a friend and an aid on the harrowing journey. The latter seems more plausible, making Aristarchus an even greater friend. He chose imprisonment with his friend over himself.
• A loyal friend to Paul through thick and thin. How loyal? Dragged through the streets of Ephesus by a mob loyal. On a harrowing boat trip to Rome loyal. Shipwrecked on a foreign island loyal. Under house arrest facing execution at the hand of a Romans Emperor loyal.
• Through trials and hardships. Through thick and thin. Aristarchus SUFFERED with Paul.

If you read the New Testament, you’ll find suffering is a foundational element of the 1st century understanding of Christian belief and practice. And suffering TOGETHER can also be said to be a foundational Christian belief and practice. Among the 40+ “one another” verses in the New Testament, we find challenges to suffer together. I see three levels of Suffering Together. Each requires a depth of character and unselfishness as we do life together.

1. Concern for One Another – 1 Corinthians 12:25 – Suffering together starts with a basic concern or interest in the needs of others. This means we devote time and attention to what another is experiencing, putting ourselves in their place, imagining how we might be of service to them in their time of need. And this concern should be as great as your concern for yourself (Matthew 22:37-39, 1 Corinthians 10:24). Is there room in my heart to consider and devote time and attention to the needs and suffering of others?

2. Suffer with One Another – 1 Corinthians 12:26 – The next level of suffering together is entering into that suffering with another person. Paul challenged the believers in Rome to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Concern can be applied from a distance, but suffering together means we make an effort to be present with the person during their time of need. Do I have the strength of character and unselfish willingness to sit and stand with another person in their suffering?

3. Carry one another’s burdens – Galatians 6:2 – A final level of suffering together is making an effort to lighten the burden of suffering another is experiencing. Whether it’s physical, emotional, financial, or spiritual, there are things we can do to lift another person who is experiencing difficulty. Am I willing to sacrifice and give time, resources, and energy to help a fellow believer who is suffering?

Aristarchus definitely did all three of these for his friend Paul. His concern led him to suffer with and help carry Paul through the struggles of early apostolic ministry. Tradition tells us that Aristarchus became a Pastor in Syria and eventually suffered execution himself during Nero’s reign.

I’m glad I can say that I’ve experienced Christian friendship at each of these levels. Fellow believers regularly communicate their concern for my well-being. Fellow believers have walked with me, listened to me, and prayed for me through difficult seasons of life. And fellow believers have sacrificed themselves to lift my burdens. I want to be faithful to do the same for others. Let’s keep the Aristarchus spirit alive in the church today.  

In Colossians 4:7-18, the Apostle Paul closes his letter to the church at Colossae, with ten “Shout Outs” to friends who were with him on a mission across Asia Minor. A Shout Out is simply a public acknowledgment of good. Paul closed most of his letters with a list of shoutouts. These were one or two-sentence acknowledgments of their contribution to his ministry and life.

These shout-outs from Paul remind us that he was not alone. And neither should we try to be as we live life and participate in God’s mission. Christianity is about relationships. The church is simply a group of friends that are pursuing God’s mission together. Jesus had the twelve. Paul had around 35 that he mentions across all of his letters. The model is Friendship + Mission. There is no such thing as solo Christianity.

Paul’s second Shout Out went to a young man named Onesimus. Onesimus’ name means useful. However, indications are that the trajectory of his life was headed the opposite way when he met Paul. In the book of Philemon, we learn that Onesimus is actually a runaway slave. We’re not sure of all the details of his enslavement or the reasons for his attempted escape, but somewhere along the way he meets Paul and becomes a believer in Christ, brother in Christ, including a brother in Christ to his Christian enslaver, Onesimus. Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon with a letter urging him to forgive and restore him. We don’t know Philemon’s response to the letter, but we can infer that he received it positively, because Paul is counting Onesimus as a useful friend on the mission in Colossians 4. Also, legend tells us that Onesimus later becomes a pastor in Ephesus.

Larry Johnson preached a great message at our church on Onesimus in June 2022. Here are three points he made about Onesimus’ story:

1. Christ Changes Relationships and People.

When Onesimus found Christ, he was forever changed (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). And his relationships were forever changed. Philemon and Onesimus were now brothers in Christ. Paul used the nature of their now new relationship to urge Philemon’s forgiveness. And Onesimus’ relationships were changed. He would have to reconcile his past to move on with God. This leads us to the next point.

2. Christ Changes the Past.

The past does not automatically get wiped away. It must be faced honestly to move forward with God. But Onesimus now had the power inside of him to help him live up to his name. No longer useless, fugitive, slave. Now a useful, brother in Christ, empowered by God for servanthood in His kingdom.

3. Christ Changes the Future.

Indications are that Onesimus engages in a life of faithful ministry from this time forward. Paul calls him a faithful, dearly loved brother. These words speak of Onesimus’ shift from disloyal, runaway, undependable to the loyal, steadfast, dependable, faithful servant. The trajectory of Onesimus’ life was changed through the gospel of Jesus Christ, Paul’s investment in his life, and Philemon’s forgiveness and acceptance.

A few questions to ask in thinking about Onesimus’ story:

• Am I Onesimus – Have I dealt honestly with my past? Are there people that I need to forgive? Are there relationships that I need to reconcile? Have I faced my past, even at a risk? Avoiding forgiveness, reconciliation, and redemptive risk means we may jeopardize or limit the full impact we can have as a servant of Christ.
• Am I Paul – Can I help two brothers reconcile a relationship? Paul went to bat for Onesimus. Paul believed in Onesimus. Paul took a risk to vouch for Onesimus, probably before he had proven himself. Who can I vouch for, believing in the power of God living inside of them, not in their ability to follow through? Paul’s actions tell us he believed in the power of the gospel.
• Am I Philemon – Is there someone that I need to forgive and release from guilt or shame? Philemon held Onesimus’ life in his hands and evidently choose forgiveness. Could your effort to reconcile release someone today into a life of ministry?
• Who am I counting as useless? Who am I judging only by their past and not by their future potential in Christ? The Gospel can move people from useless to useful. Do I believe that? If so, there are no lost causes. Today’s fugitives can become tomorrow’s disciple-makers.