Canadian Wayne Gretzky is considered to be the best hockey player ever to lace up a pair of skates in the NHL. How good was Gretzky? Well, when they needed to come up with a nickname for him, this is what they decided on: “The Great One.” How did he get that nickname? A reporter from a small town in Canada gave it to him—when he was only ten years old. Over a twenty-year career, Gretzky played for four different teams, and when he retired held every meaningful record in his sport, most of which he holds to this day.
Whether or not you are interested in hockey, there is something cool about Gretzky’s career. When he retired, he had scored 894 goals, the most of all time, which was 93 more than the second most prolific goal scorer. But Gretzky also held the record for the most assists with 1,963, which is SEVEN HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN more than the next highest player. Gretzky knew how to score. He knew how to come up with the big goal and win games for his team. But he also knew how to help his teammates to score. He didn’t just use his skills to stay in the spotlight, but to put the other guys on his team in the spotlight too. There’s a lot of value in that. In fact, in hockey, a player not only receives a point in his or her stats for every goal they score but also for every assist.
Growing up, we all daydream about being the player to shoot the championship-winning basket, not about making the pass to that player. We imagine standing in the concert spotlight, rocking the crowd, not being the roadie who set up the spotlight. We want to write the New York Times bestseller, not proofread it. Who wants to be the sidekick when you could be the superhero?
In our current teaching series at Journey, Unsung, we are looking at some unsung heroes in the Bible and discovering ways to apply what we learn from them in our own lives. These aren’t the people who you colored pictures of in Sunday School. No one has made a movie or even a Veggie Tales video about them. In some cases, their story is summed up in a chapter or two, or maybe just a few verses. But they are ordinary people that God used to do extraordinary things. Often those things involved giving their best so someone else could succeed. They got the assist while someone else scored the winning point.
In Colossians 4, the Apostle Paul lists ten less-familiar names from the early church. Paul’s “shout-out” to these saints reminds us of the vast majority of Christians who quietly play important roles in the kingdom of God. Even though these mentions are brief, they contain lifelong lessons for us today. Let’s look at some of these “assist leaders” in the New Testament church:
Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work. I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you. (verse 7-8)
Tychicus had a job to do. He was to deliver news about Paul, as well as Paul’s letter, to the people in Colosse. The result would be the encouragement of the Christians’ hearts.
I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. He and Tychicus will tell you everything that’s happening here. (verse 9)
Onesimus was a runaway slave. His name meant “useful,” but he had proven “useless” to his master, Philemon. Yet Paul commended him as a faithful and dearly loved brother, adding “he is one of you.”
Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way. (verse 10)
Aristarchus was one of Paul’s companions in ministry, and here he is shown as a companion in suffering. We need people like Aristarchus, who stay focused on the kingdom regardless of the consequences, who rejoice with us in times of joy and mourn with us in times of trial.
Mark caused one of the early church’s major splits. Paul and Barnabas disagreed over Mark’s desire to join them on a missionary journey. This passage shows that Mark was already restored to Paul. Mark fell, but he got back up. In fact, it’s likely that he wrote one of the four Gospels! The lesson here? Keep getting up.
Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish believers among my co-workers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And what a comfort they have been! (verse 11)
Justus willingly set aside his identity twice in order to spread the gospel. First, though his name was Jesus, he went by Justus, probably to avoid confusion with the Jesus he was proclaiming. Secondly, he left his own people, the Jews, in order to spread the gospel among those in Rome.
Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. (verse 12)
Epaphras was a prayer warrior. Burdened by the spiritual immaturity he saw in others, he went before the throne of grace and “contended” for God’s people in prayer.
Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas. (verse 14)
Luke used his occupation as a doctor for God’s glory. Luke didn’t use his own gifts merely for his own gain. He gave those gifts to God. We learn from Luke that our vocations are not separate from our spiritual life.
Paul’s letter to Timothy informs us that Demas fell in love with the world and turned away from God. Something other than God captured his affections. Demas’ example serves as a warning to us. Watch out so that you do not turn back!
Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house. (verse 15)
Nympha opened up her home and let the church meet there. She gave of her resources for the sake of the gospel. You may think you have nothing to give. But Christ can take the most ordinary thing and shape it into a tool for the advancement of His kingdom.
And say to Archippus, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you.” (verse 17)
Archippus is an example of how Christians are to challenge one another, sometimes in private, sometimes in public. We need the exhortation of brothers and sisters in Christ so that we can grow in holiness and faith.
These are just a few of the Bible’s unsung heroes—“unsung” because they were primarily focused on making sure that Paul and others could fulfill their mission and that the Gospel went forward. In the same way, the church today, our church, Journey Church, is a collective of people, many of us unsung, that can do the same thing.