As the church, we are called to live, grow, and fight together for belief in the gospel and obedience to Jesus.
Growing up near the Ohio River, I would sometimes see a small tugboat pulling a massive but disabled ship down the river. Clearly, tugboats are very strong and designed to help boats which are larger and appear stronger.Spiritually, this is God's design for you. God desires that you be strong and growing in your faith so you can pull others. And often, you may be the weak one and in need of the comfort and support of others.
We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Romans 15:1
A key way to grow in your faith is to go deep into discipleship with a few other people. At Grace, we call this Fight Club. The concept is organic and simple. Fight Clubs are groups of 3-4 men or women who meet regularly to help one another fight for faith in the gospel. A practical way to form a Fight Club is to ask a few people from your Kgroup to meet for breakfast or lunch once a week. I recommend finding a quiet place where you can talk freely without being disturbed or overheard.
The goal of Fight Clubs is to repent from sin, rejoice in Jesus, and reproduce disciples by centering your entire life on the gospel.
In our text in Colossians 4:17, the Apostle Paul writes, "And say to Archippus, 'See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord'." Apparently Archippus was on the sidelines. He wasn't doing his job and others were suffering because of his disobedience.
We have all been called to bear one another's burdens. Galatians 6:2-- Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. This is every Christian's ministry. While our spiritual gifts may be different, ultimately all gifts and ministries should be about people--building up the body of Christ so we can individually and collectively glorify God and be a light in this dark world.
In the closing verses of Colossians 4, Paul summarizes the life and ministry of a few faithful disciples around him.
If someone were to summarize your life, character, and ministry, what might they say? Are you a tugboat? Are you a broken-down ship in need of a tugboat? Or are you docked in the harbor, concerned only with yourself and your agenda?
