To Do The Work of Jesus

Study: # 641- Church in the houses From: June 22 – 28, 2010

Topic: “To Do The Work of Jesus” Colossians 1: 24-29 Paul is more conscious than anyone what it means to serve. In Colossians 4:17 says: "And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord." It’s as if he is saying, "And Say to Archippus, carry out the portion of service that has been entrusted to you from the Lord." The Lord carries ahead his plans concerning the Church and that is why He gave and gives out duties to each person. There are those who stop doing their share because of problems such as lukewarmness, coldness, apathy, irresponsibility or because they want to do their own things first. But, here there is a warning for brother Arquippus, who is advised to do what he should do before he dies. He is told to be faithful to the job that was entrusted to him. Beloved, look and think that you are Archippus and that you hear the Spirit of God telling you: "Consider the ministry that you have received from the Lord to comply with it." Which is the portion of your service? It is the portion of work in the Lord that hurts enough so that we will never let pride overcome us. There is no place for pride in enduring and to suffering in this path of service to the saints, to the church of the Lord that is His body. The ministry is done in an atmosphere of enduring and suffering. Otherwise, it is not a ministry. If the service is done deceiving others in murmuring and in insecurity, then the fullness of the service of Jesus is not there. The service cannot be done with our conflicts, with inferiorities and insecurities. That is why Paul says in Colossians 1:24: "Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church." Paul was made a servant according to the task that God entrusted him for the love of the siblings. He doesn’t complain, but rather rejoices in the suffering fulfilling in his flesh what is missing of the afflictions of Christ for His Church. If we take a look at some of the moments of Jesus’ terrestrial life, we can see that in His ministry He left at dawn to pray alone. He was with the disciples or with a crowd, and suddenly He would disappear and go somewhere alone to pray. The reason for this was the burden of all that struggle He was carrying in His body. For that same reason Paul also suffered in his ministry and this was an honor for him. What do you suffer? Do you suffer because of what has been entrusted to you? Nowadays not everyone suffers that way. Not everyone feels what Paul felt for his Master. Then, just as Archippus was warned, let us care to fulfill our ministry and do as Paul, without complaining, but rather rejoicing in what we suffer for the love of the church, complying in our flesh what is missing of the afflictions of Christ for His body which is the church. A servant of God wakes in the morning to begin a day of spiritual battle, of oppositions, resisting the enemy, hearing and watching what is sometimes pleasant and other times is adverse, hurting or rejoicing for so many things. There was suffering in Paul’s time and there should also be suffering in our time also for the saints just as Paul did who learned from Jesus. As a servant of God, notice the church that surrounds you and suffer for them. The word suffer, is not pleasant to many. Many prefer the word, “to be masters”. Therefore those who are masters of this world take possession of others, of their own. But the servants suffer for the saints for love, as Jesus did. We are called to bear unspeakable difficulties, persecutions and afflictions. See how you act with the saints, with the brothers and sisters who are the church. For Paul it was a privilege to serve the saints. It was a privilege to complete in his body what was missing of the afflictions of Christ. Paul was not referring to the expiatory suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, because no one can suffer the cross, only He and He already did. He referred to it in a sense that the Lord is still suffering for His church until finally He reunites with it in the eternity. For example, when Paul was on the road to Damascus, he was thrown off the horse to the ground and he heard a voice from Heaven that said to him: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" It was not that Paul was persecuting Jesus directly, because in that moment he did not know Jesus. It was that by persecuting the Christians he was persecuting the Lord! So, Paul learned once and for all that upon persecuting the believers he was persecuting their Savior. It is the same thing to say, that those who do wrong to the believers, do wrong to the Lord and those who do well to the believers, do well to Jesus. Mathew 25: 40 and 45 The Head in Heaven feels the suffering of his body upon the earth. In this way Paul lets us see that all the suffering that the Christians have to go through is because of the body which is the church that is part of the suffering of Christ that is still to come. Paul thinks about the sufferings that he is enduring as something that completes the sufferings of Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus died to save His church but the church has to continue to grow, to remain “strong", "pure" and “righteous.” Therefore, anyone that serves the church collaborating and opening its borders, establishing its faith, avoiding errors, etc., is doing the work of Christ. And if such service implies suffering and sacrifice, that affliction is completing and sharing the same sufferings of Christ.

Suffering in our service to Christ is not a punishment, but a privilege because it is to participate of His work. It is participating of the same kind of suffering that the Lord tolerated when He was here, although it is in a smaller degree. The afflictions suffered by the apostle "in the flesh" were for the body of Christ, which is the church. Now, observe beloved, how much do you suffer? Or you are one of those who make others suffer for your cause? Maybe you are like Archippus and you have not yet fulfilled the ministry that has been entrusted to you. But, it would even be worse if you make others suffer for your fault, then that would be to persecute and do harm to the body, which is the church. Be careful! I, the pastor, am the minister who works with the discipline and correction of the church; no one else works with the church when it comes to correct, reprehend or to give any type of discipline. I suffer for the church and that is why I cannot persecute it. I work for the church, and live for it. So, all of us should comply with what corresponds to each one in the service that has been entrusted to us by the Lord. Let us do it as we’ve been taught here, not complaining, but rather with joy for what we suffer out of love, complying in our flesh what is missing of the afflictions of Christ for His body, which is the church. Amen.