For our study in this last session we will read from verse 24 on till verse 29 of Colossians.
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.
27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily. May the Lord add his blessings upon the reading of this verses.

At first we saw the divine pleasure and all things. In the second session we saw the divine pleasure and the believers. And in verses 19 and 20, Paul mentioned about all things in heaven and on earth. And as we noticed in verse 21, he starts with that verse, and you. So, in till 23, he has been telling about those believers. So we tie to that three verses as divine pleasure and the believers.

Now when you come to the last part of verse 23, Paul says, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister. In verse 25 also he says that, whereof I am made a minister. If you read this portion, we see Paul is telling about himself. So we can give the title, the divine pleasure and Paul. Now when we say Paul, Well, we have to, when we meditate upon it, we have to think about each and every believer or about me, about us. It brings our personal responsibility before us. All things, believers, I, I Paul.

If you look at these verses 24 to 29, There are three things here. In 25-27 he tells about his own appointment. In verse 24 he tells about his afflictions. In verses 28 and 29, he tells about his accomplishments. Notice that 25 to 27 he says I am made a minister. His appointment. Verse 24 now rejoice in my sufferings his afflictions. His afflictions. 28-29 begins with this words whom we preach and he goes on like that. And there we see his accomplishment, what he fulfilled. So we are going to explain these things from this passage.

Paul's Appointment as Minister

Now look at the appointment. Paul says, I became a minister. That word used for minister is diakonos. There are two words which can be translated, which are translated in the New Testament as servant or minister etc. Probably it's familiar to us. is this word Diaconos. And the other word is the word Doulos. Often used for the word bond slave.

Now if you look at these two words, we may say like this, word Doulos shows one's relationship to the master. You can use that same word. The word Dulos shows one's relationship to the master. When we come to Exodus chapter 21, there we see a Hebrew servant serving a master. After he serves for six years, he should be set free. But suppose he doesn't want to go? He comes and says, will I love my master? He comes and says that I love my master, I want to continue serving you. And in that passage we see what all that master should do to him. Then that Dullos serves him forever. There that word Dullos shows his relationship to the master, bound to the master forever.

But the word Diaconess is different. This word shows one's relationship to the work. He works for a week or a month, not forever. A person who comes to our home for temporary work this word is used. Anybody who works in a public office, this word is used. So this word shows one’s relationship to the work. Now Paul is saying, I Paul am made a minister. Twice he says that in verse 23 and in verse 25. In verse 23 it's in the context of the gospel and in verse 25 it is in relation to the ministry to the saints. So he was also given a ministry in connection to the Gospel, and he was also given a ministry to edify the church. Evangelization and edification.

So thinking about that ministry that was given to him, he tells us, I am made a minister. He was linked to that work. He was connected to that work. Committed to that work that God had given him. Because he knew that God has given him a stewardship in connection with the evangelization and edification.

One thing we should remember, When Apostle Paul tells about the work of God or God's work on the earth or wherever there is an opportunity, he always describes the ministry that God has given him by grace. There are many places that we see that. Now he has been telling about the reconciliation. Now we he is telling that, he is telling about the part that God has given to him in connection with that work. Not only here, elsewhere also we see the same order.

Come to 2nd Corinthians, that is also a passage which tells about the reconciliation. In verse 19, verse 19 of chapter 5 of 2nd Corinthians, There it says that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. He's mentioning about the reconciliation. Immediately after that he says, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Then in verse 20 he says, now then we are ambassadors of Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead, be reconciled to God. So when he says about the reconciliation, he tells about that ministry of reconciliation that God had given him.

Similarly in Colossians also, when he tells about this reconciliation, that divine pleasure, he tells about the part that is given to him also. Why am I stressing on this this much? Just to remind ourselves that we are also given a ministry in connection with this. God has not reconciled us to himself and said, okay, now you go. He has reconciled unto himself. He has given us the word of reconciliation. He has given us duty to proclaim it to others so that others may come unto that reconciliation. Just as Paul was proud about it, you and I ought to be proud about this ministry that God has given unto us.

There are many portions we can refer to like that. But let me just bring just one more portion to your attention. You know the way he describes the ministry that's given to him. First Timothy. Chapter 1. Vs 12-14. There in verse 13 he tells about his unworthiness for this ministry. See how he describes himself. I mean his past. Blasphemer. Persecutor. Injurious. Ignorant. Unbelief. And later he would say that he was first among the sinners. But verse 14 says, the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That’s in connection with the service the Lord gave him. By grace he was put in and the ministry. Tells that in verse 12. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me in the ministry. Enabled me. Counted me faithful. Put me in the ministry.

When Paul is writing this three phrases probably he is thinking about all that is described there in chapter 9 to chapter 13 of Acts of Apostles. Enable me. That happened in chapter 9, at his conversion. He was saved. And when he was saved, at that same moment itself, spiritual gifts which was intended for fulfilling the purposes, the God's purpose for him was given to him. All that is on the way to Damascus. So that's chapter 9. Then he says he counted me faithful. From the way to Damascus, he went to Damascus. preached there in the synagogues. He went to Jerusalem. He preached there about Christ. He was sent to Cilicia. He to Cilicia. There also he preaches the gospel. It is understood that that time he planted the churches also there. And then he goes to Antioch. That takes us to chapter 11. About a year he was there. Along with Barnabas. And he preached there the word of God and taught them there also. Faithfulness. God found me faithful.

And then we see in chapter 11, Paul and Barnabas carrying the money of the church at Antioch for the saints in Jerusalem. That means the people also understood him as faithful. Otherwise they would not have sent the money with him. So he was found faithful in the eyes of God and in the eyes of men. And then at the end of chapter 12, we see them coming back from Jerusalem to Antioch. And then at the beginning of chapter 13, what do we have? Barnabas and Saul being sent for the ministry. He put me into the ministry. So these three phrases here, it summarizes chapters 9 to 13 for us. And about that putting into ministry, says this happened because of the grace of our Lord, which was exceeding abundant toward me.

Personal Application and Responsibility

Dear brothers and sisters, we are also given ministry to fulfill. It is essential for us to know what is given to us and we have to commit ourselves for the fulfillment of it. And Paul was very clear about the ministry that was given to him. There in the last portion of verse 25 he says, To fulfill the word of God. Yeah, Hindi is better there. NIV says to present to you the word of God in all its fullness. Another translation says to make the word of God fully known. That was the ministry that was given to him. Bring the... the word of God to the people. There are many words that are there to explain but I am not going to touch on all that. Only remember that a stewardship was given unto him, a responsibility was given unto him and he knew that he should be found faithful in that responsibility that was given to him.

Dear brothers and sisters, there is no believer without any responsibility. Paul had a duty to the Gospel. Paul had a duty of preaching the word of God to the saints and edifying them. Probably for us, well it may be something different. But it is very essential for us to know what is the responsibility given to us, and we have to commit ourselves for the fulfilmentof that. How we know what is the responsibility given to us?

The simple way to know that is this. You have to just see what is the ability that God has given you. There are various abilities isn't it? See what is that ability that is given to you? you As I mentioned, when we are born again, the spiritual gifts are given. At the same time, when we were born, natural talents also were given. And it is our responsibility whether spiritual gifts or natural gifts we have to commit ourselves in order to use all that God has given us for the glory of him for the fulfillment of what he expects us to do.

When we come to chapter 4 of Colossians in verse 17, we see an instruction that Paul gives to a young man. There Paul is writing to Archipas there. And say to Archipas, take heed to the ministry. which thou has received in the Lord that thou fulfill it. Yeah, God has given you a ministry. Make sure that you fulfill that ministry that God has given you.

Who was this Archipus? Nothing is told here. But when you come to Philemon, there also we see a similar name. Probably it's one and the same. There in verses 1 and 2 we read like this, Paul a prisoner of Jesus Christ and Timothy our brother. unto Philemon our dearly beloved and fellow laborer, and to our beloved Appiah, and Archipas fellow soldier, and to the church in thy house. Here we have three names. Philemon is there. Appiah is there. then we have our Archipas. Philemon, well, we know it's a man's name. And Appiah is the name of a female. So what would be the relationship between Philemon and Appiah? Most of the Bible students think that they are what? The husband and wife. Then we have this name Archipas occurring there. So who is this Archipas? Yeah, most probably their son.

And we understand that there was a church in their house. So he is very much familiar with all the things, the spiritual work and everything. Probably he was very much involved, you know with his father and mother in all those things. For many years he has been hearing this. For many years he has been doing you know something or the other, helping their parents. So one problem is there when we become over familiar with certain things. What problem? I have been preaching, I am giving some time to you now. What is the problem then? Familiarity brings what? Content. In his house there was an assembly. Paul comes there, Apollos comes there, they preach. So he was very familiar with everything. It seems that this young man, because of over familiarity with these things became a little cold in connection with the spiritual matters. So it was necessary for Paul to instruct him and say, take heed to thy ministry. Make sure that you finish the work that God has given you.

Dear brothers and sisters, this evening as we are together, it's very much essential to look into our own lives and see how we are responsible, how much responsible we are in connection with the ministry that God has given to us. As I mentioned this ministry just as it was for Paul, It is by grace that we have received it. We didn't deserve it. He gave it to us because of his grace. If it is by grace, it is very much essential for us to depend on his grace and fulfill the work.

As I mentioned, if you look at your own abilities, you will come to know what you have to do. For some, well, it may be the ability to teach others. Then do the teaching. For some it may be to exhort others personally. Do that. It's very much essential these days. You know that's similarly helping others. All cannot do that. If you have that desire, you have that ability, do that. Showing mercy to others. All these we have in chapter 12 of Romans. I am not going into the details of that. So understanding your ability, the special ability the Lord has given you, you will come to know what you have to do with your lives. May God help us to our mind into this and see that we finish the work that he has given us. Yes, became a minister. We connected, linked to that, rightly connected with that work that God has given to us.

Paul's Afflictions

There are many things Paul tells there, I am not going into the details of all that. Then when he tells about the appointment, He tells also about the afflictions that he underwent to fulfill it. Verse 24. Oh 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. Yeah there he is telling that he is undergoing sufferings for the body that is the church.

When he tells about the sufferings, he explains the sufferings like this, he is filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ. When we read that explanation, it will... you know, sound like the afflictions of Christ, sufferings of Christ was incomplete. Now to understand it clearly, we should remember that there are various types of sufferings for the Lord Jesus Christ.

There was his personal sufferings. Right from his childhood we see that. Because of Herod with his parents he had to run away from Bethlehem. As the righteous one living among the unrighteous ones, he suffered much. Those are all his personal sufferings. Then when you come to the Gospels, we see his sufferings from his compassion towards others. He wept when he saw the suffering of Martha and Mary. He was moved with compassion many times when he saw the people suffering. So those were his sufferings which he suffered with others. There is the suffering of anticipation or looking forward He suffered.

For example, in the garden of Gethsemane, we see him in agony there. That was, you know, looking toward that suffering that he was going to undergo on the cross of Calvary. Suffering in anticipation. Then there is the suffering of atonement. The suffering for the redemption of humanity. That is the suffering we see on the cross of Calvary. You see in that suffering for atonement or for redemption there is nothing lacking if finished that. And when Paul says that he is suffering, that suffering which Jesus Christ left behind. He is not telling about the sufferings of atonement. That he completed on the cross of Calvary. The Lord said it was finished. There is nothing left behind for anybody to suffer. And that sufferings on the cross, no human being can suffer only he could suffer being the sinless one.

So when Paul says about the suffering that's left behind, he is not telling about the suffering on the cross. But then he is telling about that personal sufferings of Christ. He is now not on the earth. Now Jesus Christ is in heaven. Or we may say that the head is in heaven and the body is on earth. That body is the church. What the world could have done to the head now the world is doing to the body. When we say to the body it means to the believers that are living. That’s the suffering that Paul is telling here. For the sake of the church for the body. For the name of Lord Jesus Christ, He suffered on this earth.

Now we should remember that every believer is given a part to suffer for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if we are faithful in the ministry, definitely there shall be sufferings also. At first we saw the appointment of Apostle Paul and we saw that the care that he had for the ministry that was given to him and to fulfill that there were sufferings and he says that in that affliction so sufferings I now rejoice or he takes it as a privilege the part that God has given to him for suffering. Dear brothers and sisters are we ready to do the same thing?

God has given us a ministry to fulfill that there are afflictions and sufferings. We have to sacrifice various things. It may be the sacrifice of our time. It may be the sacrifice of our wealth. It may be the sacrifice of our health. Various things we have to sacrifice. And remember, if we sacrifice for the sake of the Lord, for His work, there is a day going to come when we shall be honored by Him.

Now one thing we have to remember, The things that we keep for ourselves while we live in this world, we are not going to take up to the presence of the Lord. Nothing we can take up there. Nothing we can take to eternity. The only thing that we can take up there is the things that we give up. for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord help us that we may know these truths and we may give ourselves to the fulfillment of what the Lord has given to us. Paul's appointment. Paul’s affliction.

Paul's Accomplishments

Now come to the last two verses. Paul's accomplishment. Verses 28 and 29. Whom we preach warning every man, teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily. Here we see him explaining or describing his accomplishment, Paul's accomplishment of that ministry. Him we preach. Teaching every man and warning every man. Teaching probably is the positive instruction that he gives in the word of God. Warning maybe the negative instructions that he gives to the people. Ministry includes all this.

And about it he says, wherefore, whereunto I, labor, striving. In chapter 4, verses 12 and 13, which we considered this morning, saw the prayer of Epiphras. There he said, always laboring fervently for you in prayers. Yeah, there we see that word, fervently, laboring fervently. Here also we see the same language, Where onto I also labor. Well, there in chapter 4 it was about the prayer. Here it is about the ministry of God's word. Labor is ther in both these things. I’m not going to explain that. And he says where unto I also labor. And what is his desire? That he may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. What he means is this,

God has given me a duty of perfecting the people, His people. I am laboring to do that. I want to fulfill that work. I want to bring others to perfection. I want others to become like the Lord Jesus. And one day I want to give the account of the work that God has given to me. in the presence of the Lord. See the commitment of apostle Paul for the ministry. We can go on explaining, but I don't have to and I don't want to.

As I said, there is no believer without the ministry. Ministry may differ from one person to another. And we have to know what is given to us and we have to fulfill it. Because a day is going to come when we shall stand before the Lord and give account of our lives. We are all waiting for the coming of the Lord. Are we all waiting for the coming of the Lord? But let me tell you one thing. When you read the scriptures, it's very clearly told that there will be many people, many believers who will be ashamed at his presence. What does it mean?

There will be many who will think like this when they reach up there. Oh, we should not have come like this here. We should have prepared a little more. We should have laboured a little more. What a shame it is to come like this. I didn't do anything for the Lord. I wasted my time. I was reminded about my responsibility. But I didn't care about it. What a shame it is.

Bible tells that, I am not making stories like that. If we want to be you know happy and joyful there Now we ought to be faithful in what God has given to us. By all means fulfill the work that God has given. Bible tell us that we should prepare for the coming of the Lord. It tells us that we should love his appearing. Those are all things that we can explain but I am not going to attempt that. You know all these things mean to keep ourselves holy and fulfill the work that he has given us.

Suppose you are studying in a school. Teacher had given you assignments. And you didn't do that. Next time, next day when you go to the school, Oh, you will not have that confidence. When you are seated there in the class, somebody tells you that the teacher hasn't come today. How much happy you will be, isn't it? Good. I didn't do the assignment. Teacher didn't come. But our teacher will come. He is going to come. Anytime he may come. Even now he may come. There is nothing hindering his coming. Prepare to meet your Lord. May the Lord help us that we may put our mind to these things and do all the essential things to fulfill what God has given into our hands.

Conclusion

In the last session, well, we were looking at the divine pleasure and Paul. In this last session, we have been looking at the divine pleasure and Paul after explaining that divine pleasure in reconciliation, when he is closing that section he is telling about you know that ministry in connection with that which Paul himself received in grace. What I remind to this, we are all given stewardship, we are all given responsibilities.

Let me tell you one thing. If you look at various local assemblies, it continues just because of the ministry of, you know, maybe a few people, four or five people. Praise God, it is slightly different here. But I said most of the assemblies. Just because of four or five people doing all the things, well it continues. That is not what the Lord decides. All members, brothers and sisters, everyone are given ministry. All are not supposed to preach and teach. There are varieties of spiritual gifts and are varieties of ministries. It is our duty to know what is given to us and fulfill it.

In fulfilling that there are afflictions. We have the appointment. Fulfilling that there are afflictions, but if we go through the afflictions, the third point becomes fulfilled in our lives. What was it? Come on tell me, accomplishment, finishing the work, ready for the coming of the Lord, the Lord desires that from our lives. May the Lord help us that we may put our mind into these things. Let's not be just the hearers of the word only. But let us not be the hearers of the word only. Let us be the doers of word. This is what the Lord desires from our life.

May the Lord help us that we think over these truths that we considered, you know, these two days. Not only these two days, how much we listen, isn't it? Yeah, we are blessed, you know to receive the word of God in various ways these days. There is no scarcity for the word of God. We have become masters in listening. That's good, no doubt. But be what? Doers also. So may the Lord help us that we think over these things and whatever changes we have to do in our life, let's do it, let the word transform us.

The divine pleasure for all things. The divine pleasure and the divine pleasure and Paul. Or we can say, divine pleasure and me. May the Lord bless these words into our lives.