Ephesians Tychicus, the Faithful Minister (:21, 22)

INTRODUCTION 4. Are you a faithful minister? Tychicus was! Maybe by seeing what made him faithful A. The word minister in the we can better determine our own faith- seldom had the meaning we give it fulness. today.␣ ␣ To refer to yourself as a minister today identifies you as a preacher. I. FAITHFUL MINISTERS ARE LOVED BY THE BRETHREN. B. But in the first century it only meant one was a servant. A. That is at least true of those brethren who 1. The same word is translated servant, dea- have the love for God themselves. con, and minister. 1. Not all brethren share such love. 2. In :1-6 both the work of the apostles 2. Actually some brethren are envious or and that of the seven were regarded as a jealous of any other minister who seems ministry. to be doing well. 3. One ministered with the Word of God 3. Rather than seeing a faithful brother as and prayer, while the other ministered at “beloved,” they see him as a threat. tables. 4. Such attitudes are more of a commentary on the brother who holds the feelings C. With that in mind, one still cannot be cer- than on the one toward whom they have tain whether Tychicus was a preacher or a them. servant in some other area of the work. One has to determine such from the context. B. We all need the attitude of Paul toward D. In the context, the assignments given to him other preachers of the Word. We must see may indicate his ministry was preaching. them as “beloved.” There is a close broth- erly relationship. E. He was “faithful” as a minister. 1. Faithfulness is that for which we all long. C. We are in the same family, sharing the same Our desire is to hear say, “Well goals and dreams for the cause of . done, good and faithful servant.” Let us, then, be certain we are building up a. To be faithful is to receive the crown of fellow brethren instead of being like James life (Revelation 2:10). and John in Mark 9:38-40. b. The primary idea of faithfulness is to be full of faith. II. FAITHFUL MINISTERS MAKE EVERYTHING 2. To be judged faithful at a particular as- KNOWN TO US. signment means I have been true, de- pendable, and trustworthy in the job given A. Our job in preaching is to open up God’s to me. revelation to others. We are to give insight 3. Before one can be faithful he must first so that those who listen can go away with a know what his job is in God’s service. clearer grasp of truth. 1 B. Like Ezra we need to “set our hearts to the comfortable.” study the law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances” B. Many times we become very adept at re- (Ezra 7:10). buking sin and informing people of their failures. But we often fail at comforting C. We are to “declare the whole counsel of those who hurt. God” (:26). C. Something is wrong with preaching that D. Our job is not to decide for people what makes those who love God and walk in the they are to do with the Word but to light leave worship hurting worse than make␣ it␣ known to them so that they can when they came. decide. D. Tychicus was a comforter in his ministry. III. FAITHFUL MINISTERS COMFORT THE CONCLUSION HEARTS OF CHRISTIANS. A. I want to be a faithful minister like Tychicus. A. Someone has said that it is the job of preach- ers to “comfort the afflicted and to afflict B. Don’t you?

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