ARCHIPPUS

“And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it”.

“The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen”.
Colossians 4:17,18.

Paul an apostle of our Lord Jesus Christ wrote to the Colossians brethren a very mystical epistle about our Lord. It was an epistle that is regarded as a mystical book in that, it shows the preeminence of Christ above any other being that we might think of in this world. He is far above principalities and powers as well as every name that is being named. It also revealed the mysteries about the work of Christ on the Cross. The concluding part of the message was more of salutations to the co-labourers in the body of Christ i.e. the Church. However, in the midst of this a message was sent specially to Archippus. Some questions popped up in my heart and I needed to share as we begin a new phase of the year, the second part of the year and the seventh month of the year. A critical look should draw us nearer and see that there is something that we need to glean from this man as a victuals for our journey of faith.

Who is Archippus? He must have been a fellow disciples of the Lord and a co-labourer with Paul apostle. As a matter of fact, there are basic things embedded in the word of Paul.

Ministry: There is no one who is a genuine followers of Christ that is not having a ministry. That is what I have discovered in the recent time in our christian faith.

• A ministry is a defined and a Divine assignment committed to the care of someone by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Whatever God has not given you to do is not going to be reckoned with you as your ministerial assignment on earth that you will give account in the end.

• It is a mandate of the Lord expected to be executed by the energy of the spirit of God and not of the suggestions of the flesh. Whatever grace you have in performing a certain thing consistently and continually is your ministry.

• 2Cor. 5:18-20 expressed that we have a ministry of reconciliation as a believer. In fact, reconciliation is the hall mark of our Christian life. No one is excluded from reconciling the world back to God and reconciling with God.

• There are ministrations in different shades and forms as we found it in the Bible; 2Cor.3: 6-9: Ministrations of death with its attendants attributes and glory; ministration of the Spirit; ministration of Condemnation; and ministration of Righteousness.

• A ministry is a divine deposit of God in a mortal man that is displayed in a manner of making God to become real to all men. 2Cor. 4:1,7 calls it treasures in an earthen vessel. While Ephesians 4:11 revealed the five-fold ministry in the body of Christ. With other kinds of ministries are being spelt out in 1Cor. 12:28, Rom.12:6-8. All this ministries are centred around the manifestations and operations of the Holy Spirit in a man.

Archippus (Just substitute your name) is being expected of the Lord to realised that he has a ministry from the Lord. That exactly you must realised too. And that the ministry was received in the Lord.

This suggests that:

One, there is a need for you to take heed. Taking heed is a warning for you and me because there lies an adversary whose aim is to spoil that which you have received of the Lord as a ministry in your hand. As a Shepherd, I am expected to feed the Sheep and the Lamb. 1Tim.4:16, 2Pet. 5:8

Two, the reception of the ministry indicates that you and I will give an account of it in the end. It is an entrustment. The ministry is what makes one to become an ambassador or representative of heaven. 2Cor.5:20

Three, fulfilling ministry is a must for you and I, just as it was sent to Archippus by Paul. The ministry must be carried out through the grace of God and be fulfilled. The fulfilment of the ministry is in the fact that it accomplishes the desire of God on earth; it means that it must aligned with the purpose of heaven.

A man may be doing ministry and yet out of course or out of synchronisation. Any ministry done without achieving the desire, decision, and demand of God and His programme is a wasted effort and the response of heaven is that such is a waste of resources of heaven upon the ministry.

Father, this is my humbled cry that you will cause me to realise before it is too late, that which you have sent me to accomplish for you while on earth.

Shalom