When the Apostle Paul wrote these
epistles in the early church, they understood that his writing
was scripture. They understood it was infallible
and that it came directly from God. If you want to turn to 2
Peter chapter 3, I'll show you that. Peter was talking about
the writing of Paul. And he said, an account, 2 Peter
3, verse 15, an account that the longsuffering of our Lord
is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul, also according
to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you, as also
in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which
are some things that are hard to be understood, which they
that are unlearned and unstable rest or twist as they do also
the other scriptures. You see that? They saw what Paul
was saying was scripture. That's very important for the
introduction to this message. Now turn back to Colossians chapter
four. Colossians chapter four is a
very unusual close. Now, remember, this letter was
scripture. The early church understood that,
and it was to be read publicly. And when this scripture was read
publicly, there was a certain man by the name of Archippus. I don't know how to pronounce
it. I'll say it four or five different times probably. I used
to say Archippus, and then somebody said, no, it's Archippus. I don't
know. But at any rate, Archippus would be sitting in
this assembly when this epistle is read, knowing it's scripture,
and he would hear these words. Put yourself in his place and
put your name in this and see how you would feel. Verse 17,
and say to Archippus, take heed, beware, look closely too. the ministry which thou hast
received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it, that you complete
it, that it doesn't die. Some believe that Archippus was
the pastor of the church at Laodicea. I kind of believe that myself.
And perhaps it was his failure to take heed to the ministry
that led the church in Laodicea as we looked last week into this
dreadful condition. Take heed. Give earnest care
and contemplation to. Make this the area of your life
that you give the greatest effort to. Beware lest you fail. Take heed to the ministry you
received. You didn't take this upon yourself.
You received it. The Lord gave it to you and the
only reason you have it is because he gave it to you. He gave you this ministry and
you've received this sacred trust. You take heed that it be fulfilled. Completed. Accomplished. Don't let it fail, is what he's
saying. And he said the same thing to
Timothy. He said, make full proof of thy ministry. And that's the
same word that's translated by the word fulfill. You make sure
you fulfill your ministry. He said, stir up the gift of
God that's in thee. Neglect not the gift of God that's
in thee. He said those same things to
Timothy. Now, this was an admonishment. Evidently, Archippus was not
doing this. And Paul says, take heed that
you do this. Take heed that you watch carefully,
that you pay special attention to, that you work out this thing
of this ministry, which the Lord has given you. Now, the first
thing we need to understand is what is meant by the word ministry. Well, it means a service. If
you have a ministry, it means you're a servant and you have
a service that God has given you. It's anything any believer
does to serve the Lord. The word is also translated a
service, a ministration, And it's even called an office. Paul
said, I magnify mine office. The thing that God has given
me to do. It's not a role I play. It's
not a hat I take on or off. It's who I am. This thing of
the ministry. If I am given a ministry, that
is who I am. Now, I want us to consider how
this word is used in the New Testament. Turn with me to Acts
chapter 6. Acts chapter 6. Verse 1, and in those days when
the number of the disciples was multiplied, There arose a murmuring
among the Grecians, the Gentiles, against the Hebrews, the Jews,
because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. That's the word ministry, same
word. And the Gentiles were upset because they seem to be showing
favoritism toward the Jewish widows and helping them more
than they were the Gentile widows. And there was strife, they were
upset, they were thinking this is not fair and you understand
that. Then the 12 called the multitude of the disciples unto
them and said, it's not reason that we should leave the word
of God and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye
out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost
and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business, but we will
give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of
the Word. Now, here the word ministry is
used in two different ways. There's the ministry of tables,
acts of mercy, taking care of the widows, and that's just as
much as ministry is the ministry of the word, but then there's
also the ministry of the word. Everybody has a ministry, something
God has given you. Like Paul said, the Lord put
me in the ministry and we are to see that it is fulfilled. I'm to give myself to the ministry. Paul or Peter said we want to
give ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word. I want
to give myself to this. I want to do my best at this.
I don't want to be half-hearted at anything. What the Lord has
called me to do, I want to give myself completely to it. I want to be given to prayer,
given to the ministry of the Word. I don't ever want to preach
a message where I don't know I've at least done my best, that
I've prepared, that I've sought the Lord, I've asked for His
favor, His blessing on it. I can't control what he does
with it, but I always want to know that I've done my best,
that I've given myself to this. And that's what Peter said, we're
to give ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.
And these men were to give themselves to the ministration of tables,
these acts of mercy. Paul said to Timothy, make full
proof of thy ministry. Now, in 1 Corinthians chapter
12, Paul said there are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit,
and there are differences of administrations. And that word's
ministry, they're different ministries, different ministries. But the
same Lord, there are diversities of operations, but it's the same
God that works all in all. Turn with me for a moment to
Romans chapter 12. Verse three, for I say through
the grace given unto me to every man that's among you not to think
of himself more highly than he ought to think. You know, that's
where we always get in trouble, isn't it? Every time we think
of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. But he says
to think soberly. according as God hath dealt to
every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in
one body, and all members have not the same office, so we being
many are one body in Christ, and every one member is one of
another, having then gifts differing according to the grace that is
given to us, whether prophecy, Let us prophesy according to
the proportion of faith or according to the analogy of faith. If I'm
preaching, it better be according to the faith written in the Scriptures.
That's what he's saying. If you're preaching, you better
make sure you're preaching according to the analogy of the faith,
the truth. He says in verse Seven, or ministry? Let us wait on our ministry. Give ourselves to it. He that
teacheth on teaching, he that exhorteth on exhortation, he
that giveth, let him do it with simplicity. He that ruleth with
diligence, he that shows mercy with cheerfulness. You see how
these gifts are to be used? Now, these are all gifts and
ministries. Now, Let's consider what the
scripture says regarding the ministry, that Paul tells Archippus,
you take heed, you beware, you watch out regarding the ministry,
that you fulfill it, that you complete it, that you don't let
it go, that you don't let it die like a dying ember. You know,
it's very similar when Paul said to Timothy, stir up the gift
of God that's in thee, fan the flame, is what he's saying. If
you don't, the ember will go out. Now somebody's saying, now
how can you say all this if you believe in God's absolute sovereignty
and He controls all things? Are those two things consistent?
Yes. Yes. I don't understand how. I really
don't. I don't understand how I'm responsible
to keep fan the flame or it'll go out. And yet, if I don't it'll
go out and yet God's in control of everything. I don't pretend
to understand how God's absolutely sovereign and yet men do what
they want to do. But they're both so. They're both so. Now, first of all, I've already
read this. Paul speaks, or Peter speaks
of the ministry, the service of the word. Now, whatever the
ministry is, first of all, it's about the word of God. The written word. Aren't you
thankful for the written word? I am so thankful that we have
the Scriptures to go to to find out who God is. That we're not
dependent upon what men say. That God has revealed Himself
in this book. And when I preach, I don't say
believe me because I'm saying it. Try what I'm saying according
to the Scriptures. That's all I ask you to do. We
have the written Word that reveals the living Word. The Lord Jesus
Christ who is the Word of God. Now how would we know that He
is the living word, if we didn't have the written word. Thank
God for that. But this is about the word of
God. This is about the gospel message. Paul said to Timothy,
preach the word. So whatever ministry is, it has
something to do with the word of God, doesn't it? Oh, I'm so
thankful for this book. Now, Paul said in 2 Corinthians
4.1, if you turn there, Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4.1,
Therefore seeing we have this ministry. And he had defined
what he meant by this ministry in this third chapter. He said,
God hath made us able ministers of the New Testament. Now the
ministry has something to do with the New Testament. And by the New Testament, I don't
simply mean Matthew through Revelation, the New Testament, as opposed
to Genesis through Malachi, the Old Testament. We're talking
about the gospel. Now, if you want to understand
what the New Testament is, Paul says, seeing we have this ministry,
the ministry of the New Testament, turn with me for a moment to
Hebrews chapter 8. I want to begin reading in verse
6, Hebrews chapter 8. I believe this is a clear and
sustained passage regarding what the New Testament is, as we'll
find anywhere in the Word of God. But now, verse 6, Hebrews
chapter 8, verse 6, But now hath he obtained a more excellent
ministry, by which also he is the mediator of a better covenant,
which was established upon better promises, the New Testament superior
to the Old Testament. Now, are you saying the stuff
in the Old Testament wasn't right? No, I'm not saying that. When
he's talking about the Old Testament, he's talking about the old covenant
of works is what he's talking about. The Old Testament writings
are just as inspired and just as filled with gospel as the
New Testament writings. He's talking about the Old Covenant.
Now let's go on reading. For if the first covenant, salvation
by works, had been faultless, then should no place have been
sought for the second. For finding fault with them,
the Old Covenant of works, it's faulty. You know what the fault
is? Me. I'm the problem. It can't
save somebody like me. It can't save somebody like you.
If salvation is by works, it won't work. It just won't work. It's faulty. For finding fault
with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord,
when I'll make a new covenant with the house of Israel and
with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that
I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the
hand. to lead them out of the land of Egypt. Now that seems
like a good thing, doesn't it? For God to take you by the hand
and lead you out? But you know, if all God does
is take me and you by the hand, it'll do us absolutely no good
because the heart is not changed. He can scratch that, not the
heart not changed, you're not given a new heart. That's what
I need is a new heart. Now let's go on reading. not
according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in
the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the
land of Egypt, because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded
them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that
I'll make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord."
He says, first, I'll put my laws into their mind and write them
in their hearts." Now, here's the first blessing, and this
is so important. He says, I'm not just going to
take them by the hand and lead them out. I'm going to put my
laws in their mind. I'm going to write them in their
hearts. And when he's saying that, he's not talking about
Ten Commandments. Romans chapter 2 tells us the law is written
on everybody's heart. Every child born into this world
knows it's wrong to lie. Doesn't stop them from doing
it, but everybody knows. Everybody knows it's wrong to kill. People
know sexual sin is wrong. People know cheating is wrong.
People know, on and on. Everybody already knows that
stuff. When people say, we need to be
taught how to live, you already know how to live. You know you
ought to pay your bills. You know you ought to tell the
truth. People already know that stuff, so he's not talking. And
Romans chapter 2, verses 15 and 16 says, the law is written on
everybody's heart, and here's what they do with it. They either
accuse one another or find excuses for their disobedience. That's
all it ever does with people. that that law is already written
on everybody's heart, he's talking about the new laws of the new
nature that are given to the new heart. And we find six of
these in the New Testament. Let me name them and elaborate
them on just a little bit. We read of the law of sin, the
law of righteousness, the law of faith, the law of love, the
law of liberty, and the law of Christ. We read of all those
laws in the New Testament. The law of sin. Now, this is
just in your heart. If you're a believer, if God's
given you a new heart, if He's done something for you, you have
this thing called the law of sin. Paul said, I find a law
that when I would do good, evil is present with me. And he called
it the law of sin. Now, it takes a new heart to
see this. But if you have this new nature,
you find this law in you that everything that comes out of
you is sin. that comes out of you is sin. You cannot not sin. Now that's what the law of sin
is. If you do it, it's sin. Now do you believe that about
yourself? That's what Paul called it, the law of sin. And the next
thing he spoke of, you can read about this in Romans 9, is the
law of righteousness. Do you know a believer cannot
be satisfied with anything short of perfect righteousness. That's
the only thing that will satisfy my conscience is if I am perfectly
righteous before God. It's not enough for me. You know,
people talk about justification. They call it just as if I've
never sinned. That doesn't give me any comfort
because I did sin. It's not just as if I never sinned.
In justification, I never sinned. I have perfect righteousness. God gave me the righteousness
of His Son. And you know that's the only
thing that satisfies my conscience. Nothing else does. I can't find
any rest anywhere else but in having His righteousness as my
personal righteousness before God. That's the only thing a
believer can be satisfied with. And then we read in Romans 3
of the law of faith. You know, I can't not believe
I've got an old nature that doesn't have anything but unbelief. But
I cannot not believe. I must believe the gospel. I
don't have anywhere else to look. I've got a law of faith in me
that causes me. This is the law of my nature.
I must believe the gospel. I must rest in Christ. I must
look to Him. That's a law in me. I mean, it's
not something I muster up. It's not something I just up
and decided one day, I'm going to start believing. I'm going to quit
being an unbeliever. I'm going to start being a believer. No, it doesn't work that way
at all. You find yourself believing because God has given you life.
And you have this law of faith. And then we read in James 2,
of the law of love. I can't not love God. I love
Him as He is. I love His attributes. I love
His holiness. I love His sovereignty. I love
how He saves sinners by grace. Oh, how I love His Son! How I
love being saved by His Son! How I love His Spirit who gives
me life! How I love Him! How I love His
people! Anybody that loves Christ, I
love them dearly. I really do. God is my witness.
I really do. I love men. I want men to be
saved. I want them to come to a knowledge
of the Gospel. to come to love the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a
law of love. And then, I love this, a law
of liberty. That's also found in the book
of James, the law of liberty. You know, a believer cannot handle
bondage. I can't handle being under the
law. I can't handle being under anything except grace. That's
the only thing I can handle. You're not under law, but under
grace. And you put me under bondage in any way, all my peace leaves,
all my joy leaves. There's a law of liberty. I must
have liberty. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith
Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again in that
yoke of bondage, the law. And then I love Galatians chapter
6, the law of Christ. If any man be overtaken in a
thought, Can you understand how you can
be overtaken in a fault, in a sin? If any man be overtaken in a
fault, you which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit
of meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, My sin is a burden to me, and your sin is a burden to you. Put up with one another, love
one another, bury one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law
of Christ. Don't you love the laws of the
new nature? He said in verse 10, I will put my laws into their
mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them
a God and they shall be to me a people. You know what that
means? If God's for you, who can be against you? And they
shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother,
saying, Know the Lord. For all shall know me, from the
least to the greatest. You see, in the New Testament,
you don't just know about God, you know Him. You know the living
God. I know Him. I know Him to the
fact that He knows me. If I'd say I know Him, He wouldn't
say He's name dropping. That man does know me, through
the revelation of the Gospel. And then he says in verse 12,
for I will be merciful, and that word is propitious. I will be
propitious to their unrighteousness. God makes that promise. I will
be propitious. And that word propitious means
I'm going to remove my reason for anger because I'm removing
the sin. That's what the Lord did by His blood. His blood was
a propitiation. He washed away my sin. He took
away my sin. And God says I will be propitious
to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities.
This is one of my favorite things to think about. Their sins and
their iniquities I'll remember no more. God's got a mighty good
memory. and there's nothing that he can
forget. You know, there are a lot of my sins that I've forgotten. But outside of Christ, God doesn't
forget one of them. He sees every one of them. And
when He says, there are sins and there are iniquities, I will
remember no more. It's because for one reason,
there's nothing there to remember. Christ removed those sins so
effectually that there's nothing there to remember. Now that is
the New Testament. Don't you love the New Testament?
And we are ministers, not just me, you too. We're ministers. of the New Testament. And then
in Acts chapter 1, Paul was speaking of Judas losing his part in the
ministry. And it was said to be ministers
of the resurrection, witnesses of the resurrection. He said
he's lost this ministry. You can read about it in Acts
chapter one. He called it this ministry. And what was this ministry
that he was no longer part of? Witnesses of the resurrection. Now, I was not an eyewitness to the
physical resurrection of Jesus Christ. But I know he lives. I know he was raised from the
dead. I'm a witness of the resurrection. I know my Redeemer. I walk with
the living Christ, and I'm bearing testimony that he lives. I'm a witness of the resurrection. Do you believe that Christ is
your only hope before God? If you do, you are a witness
of the living Christ. You're not trusting a dead Christ.
You're trusting him who lives. He died, he put away sin, and
he lives. And we bear witness to the living
Christ. I serve a risen Savior. Not a dead Savior, a risen Savior. Witnesses of the resurrection.
And I love this. Acts chapter 20, verse 24. Let's
go ahead and read this. Acts chapter 20, verse 24. But none of these things move
me, the fact that I'm going to be arrested and beat everywhere
I go for preaching the gospel, none of these things move me,
neither count on my life dear unto myself so that I might finish
my course with joy and the ministry which I've received of the Lord
Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Now, every believer has a testimony. You want to hear my testimony?
It's a testimony of the grace of God. Now, you listen to me
real carefully. I'm bearing witness right now. I'm not just spitting
out facts I learned. I'm bearing witness to the truth.
The only reason I'm saved is because God chose me. You read it, Claire. He saved
us. He called us with a holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to his own purpose
and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began. I know if he didn't choose me,
I'd never have chosen him. I know that. I'm bearing witness
to this. My only hope is the gracious
death of Christ on my behalf. Salvation by grace. My only hope
is that God, the Holy Spirit, by his grace, gave me life and
he preserves me and I'm testifying salvation by grace. In this example
of this sinner, when I stand in glory, I'm going to be the
example. And you believe that too if you're
a believer. I'm going to be example that salvation is 100% the grace
of God. Not have I gotten, but what I
received. Grace hath bestowed it since
I have believed. Boasting excluded, pride I abase. I'm only a sinner saved by grace. Once I was foolish. Sin ruled
my heart, causing my footsteps from God to depart. Jesus hath
found me. Happy my case. I now am a sinner,
saved by grace. Tears unavailing, no merit had
I. Mercy must save me or else I
must die. Sin had alarmed me, fear in God's
face, but now I'm a sinner. saved by grace. Suffer a sinner
whose heart overflows, loving his Savior to tell what he knows. Once more to tell it would I
embrace. I'm only a sinner saved by grace. This is my story. To God be the
glory. I'm only a sinner saved by grace. Now that's our testimony, isn't
it? 2 Corinthians chapter 5. We're looking at what the ministry
is that we're to take heed concerning. Got a couple more scriptures. Paul said in verse 18, and all
things are of God. Don't you love that? All things
are of God. You know, he's in control of
everything. All things are of God. All things. What, what, what? All things. Would you want to have anything
outside of that? All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself
by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. Now what's reconciliation mean?
It means to take two parties that are odds and bring them
together. Now, how does he do this? Verse
19, to wit, here's what this means. That God was in Christ,
reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses
unto them. Now, how is it that God can be
reconciled to me? by not imputing my trespasses
to me. And you know what? He doesn't. Even as David described the blessedness
of the man unto whom the Lord will not impute iniquity, saying,
Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are
covered. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. Now, all your sin, believer,
all your sin, you know what? God doesn't charge you with it.
That's your hope. Don't deny the reality of your
sin. It's worse than you think. Somebody came up to me once and
said, I think things are bad. I said, it's a lot worse than
you think. It is. But here's your hope. God doesn't
charge you with it. You see, the just and holy God
charged the sins of God's people to Christ. Sin was imputed to
him. It became his. And this ministry
of reconciliation is about my sin not being imputed to me.
And he's committed to us, verse 19, this word of reconciliation. Now then, We are ambassadors
for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you
in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. Now there's a verse that
I'm just dumbfounded by. I want to be his ambassador,
don't you? I want to be a minister of reconciliation, being his
very ambassador. But Paul actually makes this
statement, we as ambassadors for Christ, as though God did
beseech you by us. You be reconciled to God. He's
reconciled to you. I want you to think about that.
He's reconciled to you. You be reconciled to God. For
he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him. First Corinthians chapter 16. I beseech you, brethren, verse
15, you know the house of Stephanus, that it's the first fruits of
the Ki, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of
the saints. Now here, here's a good addiction. They've addicted themselves to
being servants to the saints. Now everybody, you've been called
to this. You say, well, I'm not called
to preach. Well, you may not be, but you're called to this.
You're called to be a servant, a servant to the saints, just
like your Lord was. The Son of Man came not to be
ministered to, but to minister and to give his life a ransom
for many. The ministry of the saints. Now, evidently, Archippus had
become lackadaisical and was not giving careful consideration
to and carefully watching over the ministry he'd received and
was in danger of failing. You know, I would not, if I quit giving, seeking the
Lord's blessing on my preaching, if I quit seeking the Lord's
favor, what's going to happen? it'll fail. Now, if I seek his
blessing, it's only because he enabled me to, isn't it? It's
not because I have anything about me. What a mercy it is if he
causes us to continue to seek his face. I love where David
said, When thou saidst, Seek ye my face, my heart said unto
thee, Thy face, O Lord, will I seek. If I seek him, it's because
he told me to, caused me to, gave me the grace to. If I continue
in the ministry as I should. It's only because he caused me
to. It's not because of any moral
superiority on my part. But I know this. If we don't
take heed to the ministry which we've received of the Lord, it
will fail. It will not continue. Now, Paul called it a work Ephesians
4, 12, he called it the work of the ministry. And in 2 Corinthians
6, verse 3, he said, giving no offense in anything that the
ministry be not blamed. Now, there's never a time when
we should not be taking heed. Isn't that so? Should we ever
just put it on automatic? Well, I've got all this down.
I'm just going to go and put it on automatic. Everything will
be fine. That's called fatalism. That's what that's called. That
is not to be done. We're always needing grace. We're
always learning. We're always seeking to be more
effective in the ministry. And we fear the ministry not
being fulfilled through our sin and through our negligence. We
fear that. We don't want that to happen. So what I want to
do to close by is I want you to turn to 2 Corinthians chapter
4, and I'm just going to read these charges Paul gives to Timothy. I hope this will be a blessing
to you. I hope it will be a blessing to
me. I hope I hear it. But in chapter 4, verse 5, Paul said to Timothy, The last sentence of verse 5,
make full proof of thy ministry. Fulfill thy ministry. Fulfill
it. Don't let it go. Don't let it
fall to the ground. Fulfill it. Now, turn over to
chapter 1. Verse 6, Paul says, wherefore
I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God
which is in thee. 2 Timothy 1 verse 6. He says
in verse 8, don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,
nor of me, his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions
of the gospel." He said in verse 13 of the same chapter, hold
fast, keep, don't let go that form of sound words. He said in verse 14, that good
thing which was committed unto thee by the Holy Ghost, He says in chapter 2, verse 1,
these are His charges to Timothy. Thou therefore, my son, be strong
in the grace that's in Christ Jesus. Be weak in yourself, but
be strong in grace. And then he says in verse 2,
the things that you've heard among many witnesses, the same
commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others
also. Verse 3, thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier
of Jesus Christ. Verse 7, consider what I say. Verse 8, remember that Jesus
Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according
to my gospel. Look down in verse 14 of chapter
2. Of these things, put them in remembrance, charging them
before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit,
but to the subverting of the hearers. He says in verse 15,
study, give diligence to show thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth. Verse 16, but shun profane and vain babblings, for they'll
increase unto more ungodliness. Verse 19, the latter part of
the verse, let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart
from iniquity. Verse 21, if a man therefore
purge himself from these. Verse 22, flee also youthful
lust, but follow or pursue righteousness, faith, charity, and peace. Verse
23, but foolish and unlearned questions avoid. Verse 24, the
servant of the Lord must not strive to be gentle unto all
men, apt to teach, patient in meekness, instructing those that
oppose themselves. Chapter three, verse one, this
know also that in the last days, perilous times shall come. Verse
14 of chapter three, but continue thou in the things that thou
has learned and been assured of, knowing of whom thou has
learned them. He says in verse one of chapter
four, I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus who judged
the quick and the dead, the living and the dead, and his appearing
and his kingdom. Preach the word. Be instant in
season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, and exhort with
all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lush shall
they heap themselves teachers, having itching ears. And they
shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned
unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions,
do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. Make full proof. Fulfill thy
ministry. Say to Archippus, take heed to
the ministry which you've received of the Lord, that you fulfill
it. One last scripture. Look at 1
Timothy chapter 4. And look at the emphasis the
scripture puts on this. Paul says to Timothy, Neglect not
the gift that is in thee, which was given thee. First Timothy
chapter four, verse 14. Neglect not the gift that is
in thee. Would a believer ever neglect?
Yeah. Yeah. Neglect not the gift that's
in thee, which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on
of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things and
give thyself wholly to them. that thy profiting may appear
to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue
in them, for in doing this thou shalt save both thyself and them
that hear thee." Now, how did this affect Archippus? I don't
know. I don't know. I don't know whether
it just slew him and made him give himself wholeheartedly to
the ministry. It may have. And if he was at
the church of Laodicea, it could be that they went bad after he
was gone. I don't know. But it also could
be, if he was the pastor at the church of Laodicea, because he
didn't heed these things. Look at the direction that church
went. Lukewarm. Neither hot or cold. Now may the Lord enable you and
I to take heed, to give earnest thought to the ministry that
we have received. All these things that I've been
talking about, you've received them. You're a minister of the
New Testament. You're a minister of grace. You've got a testimony of grace.
May the Lord enable us to Take heed to the ministry which we've
received of the Lord that we fulfill it, that we complete
it, that we don't quit, that we don't go off in a wrong direction,
that we don't veer off. And only the Lord can preserve
us from that. You know what I think? I love
this scripture. I hope every one of us can get
hold of this. David said in that last verse
of the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, I've gone astray
like a lost sheep. Seek thy servant, for I do not
forget thy word. Let's pray.