It seems a while since I've stood
in this pulpit on a Thursday evening. On occasions, of course,
on Thursdays I have the privilege of sitting in the pew. Brother
Adhikun has been ministering and reading some of the sermons
of the former pastor, and I'm sure I know some have found profit
from that ministry. I trust that we've all found
some profit from the things that we've been hearing. But I want
to just conclude this short series that we were pursuing back in
April, looking at these closing verses in Colossians chapter
4, where we have mention of various individuals. We know very little
about them. They may be spoken of in other
of the epistles of Paul, but they were those who were very
much is help us in the ministry and I'll read tonight the passage
in Colossians chapter 4 from verse 15 through 17 Colossians
4.15 Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea and Nymphos, and the church which
is in his house. And when this epistle is read
among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans,
and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea, and say
to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received
in the Lord, that thou fulfil it. Well, the last time I was
ministering on a Thursday evening, that we're considering verses
15 and 16. So that's the connection, but
I want us tonight to turn in particular to what we have here
at verse 17. Say to Archippus, take heed to
the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord that thou
fulfill it. Now in the context then, there
is some association with what we've read in the previous verses.
Remember that in verses 15 and 16 we read of three churches. Well, verse 15 in particular,
we have the church at Colossae. This is the particular church
that the epistle is clearly being addressed to as we see from the
opening verses. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
by the will of God, and Timotheus, our brother, to the saints, and
faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colossae. And then the
normal word of greeting, Grace be unto you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. So the epistle is addressed
to a local church that had been gathered together there and established
in the city of Colossae. But there's also mention here
at verse 15 of the church at Laodicea. In fact, the Laodiceans
are also mentioned in verse 16. And Laodicea geographically was
near to Colossae. So it's not surprising that as
he comes to the conclusion of the epistle Paul makes mention
of this other church. There would be communion, of
course, between the churches. One church in the Lord Jesus
Christ, although gathered in local situations, one at Colossae,
the other at Laodicea. And it's not just at the end
that we have mention of the church of the Laodiceans, back in chapter
2. Paul says, I would that ye knew what great conflict I have
for you and for them at Laodicea. And for as many as have not seen
my face in the flesh, how that Paul as an apostle has the care
of all the churches. He makes mention there at verse
13 in this last chapter again of the those at Laodicea and
those also at Hierapolis. So it seems there was another
church at Hierapolis. So there's a church at Colossae,
there's a church at Laodicea, but we also strangely have mention
of Nymphos at the end of verse 15. Nymphos and the church which
is in his house. his own house and he's at the
service of the people of God and it's not the only time we
read of a church in someone's house in Romans 16 we also have
mention of such circumstances there in in verse 3 following
Paul It's the last chapter, isn't it, Romans 16? There at verse
3, "...Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus, who
have for my life laid down their own necks, unto whom not only
I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise,
greet the church that is in their house." So Priscilla and Aquila
also put their house at the service of the church. These early believers,
we know they had all things common. We see that at the end of Acts
chapter 2, after the glorious outpouring of the Holy Spirit,
what fellowship there was between those early Christian believers
in those great days, after that auspicious outpouring of the
Holy Spirit. Well, when we were considering
things those several weeks back, we looked not only at verse 15,
but also at verse 16, and I made mention then of the public reading
of God's Word in the gatherings of the church. He's spoken of
these three churches, and then he says, when this epistle is
read among you, cause it to be read also in the church of the
Laodiceans. and that you likewise read the
epistle from Laodicea. Here we have intimation that
there was amongst those early believers the public reading
of the word of gods. That was part of their worship.
This epistle to the Colossians is not just for them, it's for
us. This epistle, of course, is part
of the whole canon of Scripture, though it's addressed to a particular
church. In a sense, it belongs to all the churches of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now, the particular letter to
the Laodiceans isn't part of the canon of Scripture, but there
was such fellowship between those churches that there must have
been some communication to the Laodiceans and that epistle was
to be brought also to the Colossians. But it's interesting, isn't it? We read through the epistles
of Paul and we get some idea of the manner in which things
were ordered in those churches of the New Testament. In 1 Thessalonians
chapter 5 and verse 27, Paul says, I charge you by the
Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. There
was to be repeatedly the reading of these epistles in the churches
as part of the worship as that that was part of the Word of
God And when Paul is giving charge to Timothy, remember the pastoral
epistles to Timothy and to Titus, he's giving instruction to these
young men with regards to their ministry, and there in 1 Timothy
4.13 he says, till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation,
to doctrine, or literally to teaching. Give attendance to
Reading, exhortation and teaching, those are all public ministries. Teaching, of course, exhorting,
but also reading, that's the public reading of the Word of
God. We know that the Apostle, when
he engages in his missionary work, as he goes from place to
place, in the beginning he would normally go to the synagogues.
and that's where he would be ministering the Word of God.
And much of the pattern of New Testament churches seems to be
based upon the way in which matters were attended to in the synagogues. And it is evident that the public
reading of the Word of God was part of synagogue worship. We see it even in the ministry
of the Lord Jesus, there in Luke chapter 4. Remember when he comes
up out of the wilderness after those 40 days of temptations,
he comes to Nazareth in all the fullness of the Spirit, and as
was his wont he goes into the synagogue on the Sabbath day.
And the minister passes to him the book of the prophet Isaiah.
And the Lord reads there from Isaiah 61. That was very much
part of synagogue worship, the public reading of the Word of
God. And in Acts 15.21, James refers
to the fact that Moses was read every Sabbath day in the synagogues. They would read the books of
Moses. They would read the books of the Psalms. And so, last time
we were emphasizing the importance, really, of public reading of
Holy Scripture. It is part of our worship, and
it is a very real means of grace. Of course, God will bless His
Word to us when we read it in the quietness of our own homes.
But we are to attend to the public reading as we gather for worship,
and oftentimes, do we not feel that the Lord is speaking in
a way that's the purest part of all our worship because it's
simply the word of God whereas the hymns that we sing
and the sermons that we hear and the prayers that are offered
up these involve the words of men but when we open the Scriptures
and simply read the Word that is pure, that is really the very
Word of God that we're attending to. But as there is to be the
public reading of the Scriptures, we see here in verse 17, which
we come to tonight, that there is also the ministry. Say to
Archippus, take heed to the ministry, which thou hast received in the
Lord that thou fulfill it and what was that ministry well it
was the the ministry of the word of God the exhorting of the people
the preaching the preaching of the word of God it's interesting
the particular word that's used and rendered ministry it's the
word Diakonia and it's that word from which we have our English
word deacon but whilst there is a specific
office of the deacon that's quite clear from what we read in Timothy
and Titus the office of the overseers and the deacons and the qualifications
required for those two particular offices in the church But the
word that we know as deacon, as we
find it being used in the New Testament Scriptures, has a much
wider application. The word is used in reference
to the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Son of Man came not
to be ministered to, but to minister. It's the same word. in the verbal
form that we have there the Iconium the Lord comes not to be ministered
to but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many and
the word is also used with regards to the work of a man like the
Apostle Paul he writes there at the end of Romans I go on
to Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. There is to be that
use of the word there. And of course, not surprisingly,
the word is always being used by Paul in those two pastoral
epistles. He addresses Timothy there in
the first epistle, in verse 6 of chapter 4, If thou put the brethren
in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister
of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of
good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained." He's a minister,
it's the same word, but what is ministry? It has to do with
words of faith and good doctrine. He's ministering the things of
Holy Scripture. He's ministering the Word, preaching
the Gospel. Again, in 2 Timothy 4, in that
passage, that short passage that we read there at the beginning
of that fourth chapter, verse 5, do the work of an evangelist,
make full proof of thy ministry. It's the same word that we have
there. And in this epistle to the Colossians,
remember in the opening chapter, we have mentioned Epaphras he says there in verse 7 of that
chapter as you also learned of Epaphras our dear fellow servant
who is for you a faithful minister of Christ and of course we've
seen how Epaphras is mentioned here at the end in verse 12 of
this fourth chapter Epaphras who is one of you a servant of
Christ, saluted you always, laboring fervently for you in prayers,
that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God."
Well, this man had been useful to them, he had ministered to
them, and ministered the Word of God. But it's interesting, isn't it,
how that here, with regard to Archippus, he is to take heed
to the ministry that thou fulfill it. Say to Archippus, Take heed
to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou
fulfill it." What's meant by this? Well, here we have the
idea of the fullness of the ministry. It's to be a wholehearted commitment
to it. That's what's required. Again,
in that portion that we were reading in 2 Timothy 4, Watch
thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist,
make full proof of thy ministry." Make full proof, fully carry
it out. There's a fullness in it. What
is the man to do? He's to labour. Again, to Timothy, he says in
1 Timothy 5.17, they who labour in word and in doctrine. And that's an interesting verb
that he uses to labour. It's that that's associated with
the husbandman who is labouring in the fields. In 2 Timothy 2.6
we read of the husbandman that laboureth. And I like the remark
of that old Scots minister and commentator, James Ferguson,
he says, It's a laborious service, or a working, as it were, through
dust and mire, for so the word signifies. It has to do with
the man who is having to give himself to hard labor in the
field. He's dirtying his hands. having to expend his energies. It's a laborious service. In fact, the word that we have to labor really has the idea
of the consequence of the laboring. You labor till you're fatigued,
weary, worn out. It's such a varied work that
the The minister is to be engaged in the various aspects of that
work. Again, in 2 Timothy 4, in the
second verse, preach the word, be instant, in season, out of
season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doctrine,
the various aspects of what's entailed then with regards to
this laborious ministry of the Word of God. There's going to
be reproof, there's going to be rebuke and exhortation, there's
going to be doctrine. The various aspects a man must
give himself then to that work. We see then, whilst there's to
be the public reading, there must also be that careful ministry,
that opening up of the words, that proclamation of the truth
that right dividing of that word of truth before ever it can be
proclaimed. And in all of this, the minister
is very much the servant of the church. He's the servant of the
church. Look at the language that we
have here, say to Archippus, Paul is giving instruction to
the church at Colossae. What they had to do? They had
to say to Archippus, take heed to the ministry. They can speak
freely, they can speak openly to him. We as Baptists believe in the
priesthood of all believers. Ministers are not those who are
to be lords over the heritage of God but in samples to the
flock says Peter and so there can be exhortation and encouragement
from the church even to the minister say to Archippus take heed to
the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord that thou
fulfill it isn't it one of the marks of God's people they fear
the Lord they speak often one to another The Lord hearkens
and hears, and a book of remembrance he's written before him for those
who fear the Lord and think upon his name. Those remarkable words
that we have right at the end of the Old Testament in Malachi
3.16. Those who fear the Lord, they
speak often one to another. So it's not just a matter of
communication from the pulpit, as it were, there's communication
also from the pure. There's encouragement. There's that very solemn charge
that we have really in that portion that we read as the Apostle addresses
Timothy. This is the very last of all
the epistles of Paul, 2nd Timothy. He's now at the end, you see.
He's ready to be offered. The time of his departure is
at hand. What does he say in the opening
words? I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus
Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing
and his kingdom. Preach the word, be instant,
in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering
and doctrine. Solemn apostolic words that we
have there. But coming back to the text before
us tonight, how simple is this exhortation? The word that we
have here is simply the usual verb to say. Simple speech. There is a familiarity there,
in the way in which this communication is to be made to Archippus, who
is their minister. they know him they know him just
as he knows them and again the language that we have in
1st Thessalonians when we come to the last chapter and all the
exhortations what does Paul say there? chapter 5 and verse 12
we beseech you brethren to know them to know them which labour
among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and
to esteem them very highly in love for their worksite, and
be at peace among yourselves." There is to be that familiarity
there. As I said, we shouldn't put the
minister on a pedestal. There's no authority vested in
the man. The authority, of course, lies in the word that that man
is charged to minister. It's what he's received from
the Lord. Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the
Lord, that thou fulfill it. It concerns God's message, God's
word. Now to know him, but then not
only to know the man, they're also to pray for him. And we clearly see that in the
exhortations that the Apostle gives there at the end of the
epistle to the Hebrews. Hebrews 13, 7. Remember them
which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the
word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their
conversation. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday
and today and forever. Be not carried about with diverse
and strange doctrine, for it is a good thing that the heart
be established with grace. And then again at verse 17, Obey
them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for
they watch for your souls, as they that must give account,
that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that
is unprofitable for you. Pray for us. Pray for us. for we trust we have a good conscience
in all things willing to live honestly. They are not only to
be freely and familiarly spoken to, exhorted and encouraged,
they are to be prayed for. They need the prayers of the
people of God because of their solemn accountability. So it is here which thou hast
received in the Lord Oh, it's to the Lord that Occupus is answerable. As we read just now there in
Hebrews 13, they must give an account. There is to be a day
of reckoning, a day of giving account before the Lord God Himself. And so, how necessary is prayer. That opening hymn that we sang,
of course, you may have observed the heading at the head of the
hymn. the church praying for itself but also for the minister. And when the apostle comes to
the end of the portion in Ephesians 6 where he's dealing with the
Christian armour, he finishes on that note of prayer, doesn't
he? Praying always, with all prayer and supplication in the
spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication
for all saints. And he says, And for me, that
utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly
to make known the mystery of the gospel. Well, Archippus. Archippus was their minister. And say to Archippus, Take heed
to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou
fulfill it. May the Lord bless His word to
us. We're going to sing now before
we come to prayer that remarkable hymn of John Berridge that was caused really by the death of
George Whitefield 374. We'll tune St. John 690. Send help, O Lord,
we pray, and thy own gospel bless, for godly men decay, and faithful
pastors cease. The righteous are removed home,
and scorners rise up in their room. We'll sing from verse 2.
374, tune 690.