1 Archippus (Col. 4:17 And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it. Philemon 2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house)

Completing the work received in the Lord

100 years! In just a few more months the witness of the church here in Pathhead Baptist will have reached its centenary. For 100 years the of Saving Grace has been going out from this place. Over the period that we have been in fellowship with this church, what kind of people has the Lord found us to be?

Cecil and Betty are presently the longest in membership, - they joined the church in May, 1951. Along with them the rest of us have been brought into this fellowship through the means of Sovereign Grace. That is very important to note, - you are a member of this church in accordance with the will and plan and purpose of Almighty God.

We are looking at Archippus this morning. The mentions him twice. . His name means ‘master of the horse’. . He was a member of the family of Philemon who lived in Colosse, and at whose home the church met for worship. . Therefore, he was very probably the son of Philemon and Apphia. . As a member of that family he would have been quite well- off (remember, they owned slaves).

Paul instructs the church to tell Archippus (v.17). Archippus has been of good spiritual character because Paul pays him a compliment (Philemon 2) by honouring him with the title, “fellow-soldier” (also ).

Indeed, the letter to the Colossians seems to indicate that there was a spiritual malaise that had descended upon the church at Colosse (similar to Laodicea, Rev. 3:14-19; note Col. 4:16). It is not surprising, therefore, to discover that Paul exhorted one of their number, - in particular, Archippus, - to maintain his zeal and fidelity.

D.G. 2 We are not told of the nature of the ministry (diakonia) of Archippus. Neither are we told why he ought to have been thus admonished.

Let’s consider then, the content of the message that Paul gave to the church at Colosse to bring to the attention of Archippus.

The Word Of Command “Take heed …” . When a man of such spiritual magnitude as the Apostle Paul instructs you to “Take heed” it means he has something very important for you to hear. . Paul was writing from Rome and he knew the Colossian church well. . He also knew its two sister churches, - Laodicea and Hieropolis. . He was aware of the attempts of various cults to infiltrate the church and he was concerned for their spiritual welfare. . In particular, he sent a message to one, Archippus, and it began, “Take heed”. . Why did he send it through the church though? . Why didn’t he give the message straight to Archippus himself? . We don’t know, … but we do know that it must have been very important, for from a prison cell Paul left this greeting to the very last so that it would not be forgotten or overlooked, . “Church at Colosse, make sure you give Archippus my message!” . And the opening words of the message were so emphatic that Archippus could not misunderstand that Paul had something very important to say.

The Work To Complete “…to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, …” . There is nothing as annoying as saying something to someone and five minutes later you have to repeat it, or they say to you, “What was that you said?” . Well, here, the word of command has been issued, and the message that is to be passed on is this: . “Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.” . Note that Paul doesn’t say “start” the work, . “Archippus, you get out round those doors of Colosse and start a wee fellowship going”, - Paul doesn’t say that!

D.G. 3 . This work has been started by someone else, - maybe they are no longer there, maybe they have died, maybe they have moved on to begin a work elsewhere. . Nevertheless, Paul said to Archippus, “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.” . What about here in Pathhead Baptist Church, Kirkcaldy? . What about the influence of his Spirit that God has caused to pour out here in Anderson Street? . What about the work of many faithful men and women in starting the work here? . 100 years ago today they would have had such a tremendous burden for this area that they met together for prayer and to seek guidance from God. . They wanted to move out from the centre of town and commence a work whereby the Name of the Lord would be made known in this area. . They started the work; today, the Word of God through Paul to Archippus is as much relevant when it comes across the centuries, . “Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.” . That’s a terrible responsibility. When you are a child of God you do have terrible responsibilities. . I’m concerned for the glory of God’s Name in this part of Kirkcaldy that He has - in His Sovereign Grace - called me to serve Him. . These are not my people, . I speak with a different accent, . I come from a different country, . … but I am here in Scotland because God has laid it upon my heart, . … now, why are you here? . Are you taking seriously the command of God to complete the work that God has called you to as part of your membership responsibilities in Pathhead Baptist? . God has called you to this church, every bit as much as He has called me. . Yes, God has planted this church and given to each member of this church the stewardship of the Gospel.

The Word of Command, The Work to Continue and …

D.G. 4

The Will To Continue “… that thou fulfil it.” . There seems to be a slight hint in Paul’s words that Archippus - to some degree - has become frustrated or depressed in the work. . Remember that the church in Colosse has been riddled with heretical teaching, probably Gnosticism. . There is compromise, and compromise in spiritual matters always leads to confusion. . Within this context at Colosse there were the ingredients for the collapse of the church. . Paul instructed Archippus to remember his calling, - that’s very important! . Archippus had been called into the work of the Lord by the Lord and he had to carry out that work in the Lord. . This wasn’t any job that he could pick up or drop when he felt like it, - his work would be judged in the light of Heaven. . Above and beyond all earthly he had to take note that the work of Almighty God was of supreme importance, and that he was answerable only to God. . This was to be his motive to continue, - that he had received the call of God upon his life; it wasn’t merely the work of the church, nor any of its individuals, but from the Lord Himself! . Boy, that’s some thing to grasp hold of! . Archippus might have been ready to give up because he felt the welt of someone’s tongue or it was all getting too much for him, but Paul told him, . “Look, you’ve got responsibilities here, responsibilities to God Himself for He has called you into His service”. . It’s a privilege that God has saved you, and He has entrusted you with Christ in your life that you might make Him known. . Ah, you see, … that is our motivation, our push, our drive. . Does the call of God today control your manner of living for Him? . Is that what motivates you? … for that’s what motivates me! . If there is anything else that is acting as your driving force get it dealt with today. . It may very well be that Paul wasn’t only speaking to the ancient Archippus, he might also be speaking to someone here today, “Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.” D.G.