Say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in The LORD,
that you may fulfill it.”
Colossians 4:17

Archippus was a Christian minister of a house church in Colossae (Phn 1:2), whom the Apostle Paul urged to earnestly take heed to the ministry which our Beloved LORD JESUS CHRIST had given him, that he may fulfill or complete it.

Today, our Beloved LORD JESUS is earnestly urging each one of us, to take heed to the ministry which HE has given us for building up HIS body (Eph 4:11-16).

What if I don’t have a ministry? Just as every single part of the human body serves a purpose within the body, every single Christian who is part of the body of CHRIST JESUS has a ministry (aka purpose, particular service, calling, responsibility). As demonstrated in 1 Cor 12:12-31. For someone who says, I don’t have a ministry, but I do love to pray. If you are praying for the saints, for the lost, for the backslidden, for the hurting, for the persecuted, for the pastors, for the teachers, for the evangelists, for the message, for the Church… for no other reason than you felt GOD put it in your heart to pray. Then your ministry is intercessory prayer. You intercede (or speak) with our Beloved LORD GOD on behalf of others or circumstances. You stand in the gap (Eze 22:30). Your ministry though seen by GOD alone, touches many lives. Your ministry is a high calling, which is necessary for the body of CHRIST (Eph 6:18). And though your prayers are unseen by others (Mat 6:6-8), in this calling, you join; our Beloved LORD & SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST (Rom 8:34, Heb 7:24-25, Heb 9:24); The Holy SPIRIT of GOD (Rom 8:26-27); the prophets of old (Exd 32:11-14, Num 21:7-9, Jer 42:1-4, Dan 9:1-23); the apostles (Act 1:13-14, Act 6:2-4); and the saints throughout the ages (1 Kin 8:22-54, Neh 1:1-11, Dan 2:1-23, Act 1:12-14, 1 Ths 5:17, 1 Jhn 5:16). For others who still do not believe they have a particular ministry, ask our Beloved ABBA FATHER what is your purpose in the body of CHRIST.

What does it mean to “take heed”? It means to pay close attention to; to take careful notice of; to turn your thoughts to; to thoroughly consider. As you are carefully consider your ministry, here are three questions you might ask yourself, and our Beloved LORD JESUS CHRIST:
• Who are you serving in your calling? HIM (Psa 100:1-5, Jhn 4:34, Jhn 5:30, Jhn 6:38, Col 3:23-24), HIS people (Act 20:28, Pro 27:23, 2 Cor 11:28-29), or yourself (Eze 34:1-10, Mal 1:11-14). Just a closing thought; know when you serve HIS people, you serve HIM (Pro 19:17, Mat 25:35-40, Act 9:1-5, Eph 6:7, Heb 6:10).
• Is serving HIM and HIS people your priority? Do you protect your schedule for GOD, at the same level you protect those things you are invested in? (Psa 84:1-4, Psa 122:1, Isa 58:13-14, Amo 8:4-7, Mic 6:3, Mal 3:13-14)
• Are you feeding HIS people from The WORD? Are you honoring GOD and HIS WORD, or are you honoring someone or something else? Our GOD is SPIRIT and those who serve HIM, must serve HIM in spirit and truth (Jhn 4:23-24). Those who feed HIS people must nourish them spiritually (on HIS WORD alone ‒ Jer 3:15, 1 Pet 2:2, Heb 5:11-14). Anything else, should only be used to clearly explain the meaning of The WORD being taught, helping the hearers to understand each passage (Neh 8:5-8). If you are teaching from anything other than The BIBLE (Rom 15:4, 2 Tim 3:16-17, 2 Pet 1:20), you are not providing even the slightest benefit to those who listen (Jer 23:21-22, Pro 19:16).

If you have been experiencing a tug at your heart, as you have gone through this study; I pray you would stop and take a moment, and talk with our Beloved LORD GOD. Ask HIM specifically about the questions that have come up in your heart.

Our Beloved LORD GOD literally tells us in Colossians 4:17, to continually carry out the ministry HE has given us until it is complete. Our willingness to fulfill our ministry is not based on whether we want to do it or not. In fact HE tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:17:

For if I do this voluntarily
I have a reward
But if against my will
I have a stewardship entrusted to me

What is a stewardship? It is a responsibility given/entrusted to HIS servants by our Beloved LORD JESUS. With it, we are called to manage HIS affairs until HIS return. As an example, there are two types of stewards. Both responsible for feeding our Beloved LORD’s household until HIS return (Mat 24:45-51, Luk 12:42-48, Jhn 21:15-17*). One was both faithful and sensible, doing HIS Master’s will (Mat 24:45-46, Luk 12:41-43). The other was evil, choosing to do his own will, thinking there was plenty of time to start doing the right thing (Mat 24:48-50, Luk 12:45-48). As you read the passages of Scripture concerning the evil slave, you should consider:
        a) The evil steward’s own conduct brought his type of punishment (Eze 7:27). Just as he had beaten our Beloved LORD’s people, he was beaten (Mat 24:49-51, Luk 12:45-48).
       b) The evil steward was part of our LORD’s household, had been given a stewardship, but his behavior demonstrated he was a hypocrite, an unbeliever. Consequently, he was sentenced to an eternal place in the lake of fire (Mat 24:51, Luk 12:46), with others who also appeared as righteous but were not (Mat 23:27-28, Mat 7:21-23)

You are a steward of the ministry HE entrusted you with, as well as the gifts HE has imparted into your life (Mat 25:14-30, Luk 19:11-27). Do not be deceived, we say again, you do not have the choice in whether to walk in your ministry or not. You are not now, and have never been your own boss (Act 26:18, Col 1:13, 1 Cor 6:19-20, Rom 14:7-8). Your choices do not control your life, they seal your destiny (Eze 9:9-10, Rom 2:6-8).

Finally, there may be some who will still ignore this warning. Trusting their ability to hear from GOD for themselves. And to you, we would issue a final warning through the testimony of a righteous King, King Josiah. Three hundred years before this young King sat upon the throne of David, our LORD sent HIS prophet to tell a wicked King, the abominable altar and abominable priests he had set up, would be cleaned up by King Josiah (1 Kin 13:1-2). Young King Josiah loved our GOD with all his heart, soul and might, and cleaned up idolatry, the occult, and reinstituted the Passover within Judah (2 Kin 23:24-25). But after all this, King Josiah died in a battle that was not his to fight because he refused to listen to a warning sent from the mouth of GOD (2 Chr 35:20-24).

“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
And HE was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to.
By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides.
“For whoever has, to him more shall be given
And whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him”
Mark 4:23-25

*In John 21:15-17, our Beloved LORD JESUS CHRIST ties HIS minister’s love for HIM to two levels. First, our love for HIM is demonstrated in our completely obeying and teaching HIS WORD, even if no other minister does (Jhn 21:15 ― “do you love ME more than these?”). Second, our love for HIM is demonstrated in our taking care (nourishing and guiding) the flock HE purchased with HIS own blood (Act 20:28). Additionally, we should note in John 21:15-17, the English words “tend and shepherd” are transliterated from the Greek words “Bóske” (NT:1006) and “Poímaine” (NT:4165) respectively. Both words means “feed”. So as a pastor, minister, or teacher, if you are not nourishing GOD’s people through The BIBLE, you are not doing HIS Will (1 Tim 4:13, 2 Tim 4:2).