October 21, 2015

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here. My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.” Colossians 4:2-15

“A friend told me about a group of people who share a strong bond of faith in Christ. One of them, a 93-year-old woman, said, “I feel like I can call any of you at 2 a.m., and I don’t even have to apologize if I feel the need for any type of assistance.” Whether the need is prayer, practical help, or someone to be there during a time of need, these friends are unconditionally committed to each other. The same sense of commitment shines through Paul’s letter to the followers of Jesus in Colossae. Writing from prison in Rome, Paul says he is sending Tychicus and Onesimus to encourage them (Col. 4:7-9). Aristarchus, Mark, and Justus send their greetings (vv.10-11). And Epaphras is “always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured” (v. 12). These are bold assurances of practical help and deep-seated love.

Are you part of a “2 a.m. group”? If so, give thanks for the faithfulness of friends. If not, ask the Lord to connect you with another person with whom you can share a commitment to pray and care. I suspect it will soon grow to include others. Share the love of Christ with one another.” (Our Daily Bread, 2 A.M. Friends, September 18, 2015)

My wife and I met at church — a large church that has only grown larger over the last 27 years since we were married. While we were members there, the church started a program of small group ministry — where people of like interests and ages and stages in their lives were grouped together to engage in conversation, bible study and fellowship one time a month. Some of our oldest friends came from that group of seven couples. The small group ministry was so necessary in the life of this church because of the size of the church. It would be impossible for anyone to get to know even five percent of the members without this ministry.

We all need a small group within the church who help us feel that we belong, who help us feel connected, and who will be our “2 a.m. Group”. We don’t have to call them in the middle of the night, but we need to know that we have people who will be there no matter what. And isn’t that what the church should be about – people who love each other with the love of Christ as our sure guide? The larger the church, the more effort we need to put into making people feel connected – not only to Christ, but to each other as well.

Pastor Dave