Fulfill Your Ministry (Col 4:14-18)

“And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you fulfill it” (vs17).

Fulfill the ministry that God gave you, using your gifts to serve the Son of God, and you’re wise.  We’re unwise to live slothfully or selfishly, not doing what we can with what God’s given us.

He hasn’t called you and me to be who we are not. I’m not to be someone else - to preach like, write like, or do anything else like a man, except obeying the Son in the freeness of grace.  But, with the gifts that I have, with the power and help of God, and by the joy of “no condemnation”, I’m to use my gifts for God’s glory and people’s good, “for to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21).

Let the deacons serve with all their might, so the pastor may preach and pray with his gifts and time - “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word“ (Acts 6:4).  Let the husbands and fathers be who God’s called them to be, in the place where He’s called you.

You wives and mothers, minister to your family with the gifts that you have: be mothers and wives that honor God and not yourself.

You children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases God.  Use whatever you’ve got to serve Christ.

I don’t have to shout, scream, or preach with another man’s gifts, but with what I’ve got, let me not be wasteful.  I don’t want to use my time and talent for the flesh, when God’s blessed me to preach, labor, and give.  Paul said, “For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die“ (Phil 1:20).

Give yourself to Christ WHOLEHEARTEDLY.  It takes rebuke, very often, for someone to do what they can do.  A coach sees talent, but he doesn’t see the ambition, the drive, the “give it all you’ve got” attitude that’s needful to win.

Let no Christian be uninvolved and uncommitted, when God’s Son is alive from the dead, having giving you gifts to magnify His honor and help people know God.

Do what you can with what you have, and you’ll be happy and fruitful, using grace wisely.

If I want to hear the power of Christ and keep Him to myself, then I won’t hear the power of Christ - “So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them” (Luke 8:18). But, if I hear to practice, if I thank God for grace by obedience, then I’ll hear so I can do what I really want, which is love God.