Say to Archippus, ‘Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it” (Colossians 4:17).

“I magnify my ministry” (Romans 11:13).  

The opposite of magnifying your ministry would be minimizing it.

Ever see anyone do that? What would that look like?

I don’t want to focus on answering that question, but want to interject here that the enemy of the Lord Jesus loves to minimize the ministries of those God calls.  We know that and we deal with it.  The tragedy is seeing someone minimizing their own ministry.  Doing the devil’s work for him.

Not real smart.  Let’s not do that.

Let’s focus on MAGNIFYING your ministry.  Making much of it.

Remember how Solomon prayed as he took office?  He said to the Lord, Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted.  So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people…. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours? (That’s First Kings 3.)

He’s humbling himself, as he prayed, “I am but a little child” (I Kings 3:7). But he is also magnifying his ministry.

–They are God’s people.

–They are a great people, too many to count.

–Anyone leading them will be needing an understanding heart.

–Conclusion: Who is able to judge this great people of yours?

The Apostle Paul said (in our text) that he magnifies his own ministry.  He took it seriously, devoted himself to it faithfully, and served well.  When he came to the end–see 2 Timothy 4–Paul was still on target, still being faithful.

Two quick stories about magnifying our ministry.  

First story.  As I type this, it’s early Sunday morning.  In an hour, my wife and I will be driving two hours to a church where I will participate in an ordination service.  Asked to choose between bringing “a charge to the candidates” and “a charge to the church,” I chose the first.  (They’re ordaining six men as deacons and one man to the ministry.)

In answer to my question the pastor said I have fifteen minutes.  Good. That’s plenty.

Now, were I to minimize my ministry today, I might reason something like this:  I don’t have long to speak, this is not a large church, and no one will recall what I say.  Therefore, I will not work at this.

That type of reasoning is dishonoring to the Savior who called me, insulting to the men who are being set aside, and disappointing to the believers who will be gathering.

What then will I do to magnify this privilege which I have been given?  Here is my answer….

–I will pray and search God’s word for what He wants me to say.  There are easily a hundred messages that could be given.  I want only one: the one He sends.

–Once I determined what He wanted me to say, I wrote it out and talked it out and thought it out.  I made a small poster on which I wrote out the three verses I will be using and the points I’ll be making.  I had Office Depot make a copy for each of the seven men.

–Being a cartoonist, I made a drawing for each man. Some will probably frame it and display on a wall.  I’m good with that. (But I will never know. And I’m good with that also.)

Each drawing is an original, even though they’re similar with only the man’s name being unique to each drawing.

–And, I will be giving each of the men a book.  Help! I’m a Deacon is my book for deacons and Help! I’m a Pastor is for ministers.

I’m placing the small poster and the cartoon inside the books, which I will then give to each man later this morning.

What I’m trying to do here is to make this occasion memorable by giving them a keepsake which will direct them to God’s Word, and be a lasting reminder of this special day.

Two. Second story. Let’s say you as a minister are invited to pray at some public occasion:  the day of prayer at the city park, the Easter sunrise service for your community, the dedication of some facility in your area. The opening of Congress, your state legislature or the city council meeting.

Now, minimizing this ministry would be to dismiss it as unimportant and give little thought to it, but just show up, shake some hands, stand up when called upon, say a quick prayer and go home.  You would not be the first to do this.

But this is dishonoring the Lord, violating your call, and failing those who invited you.

You should begin by praying about your prayer.  Yep, you read that right.  “Lord, what shall I pray at this event?”  You have conflicting thoughts.  You are praying to the Lord at the occasion and not to the people.  And yet, people will be listening.  Presumably, both believers and unbelievers will be present.  You do not want to preach to the audience in your prayer.  That is what an unbeliever might do.  But as a believer, you know you are addressing the Living God and that your prayer could be life-changing in numerous ways.

On two different occasions where I have prayed in public–once at an Easter service at the local cemetery and once at the opening of the city council meeting–afterwards some people in the audience began attending my church, joined it, and became wonderful members.

And in case you wonder, yes, I have prayed many a public prayer where nothing happened as far as I could tell.  Of course, that was never the point.

Don’t miss that.  My goal in planning my prayer for that occasion was not ever to impress anyone.  I was talking to the Heavenly Father, and they happened to overhear and began coming to my church.

Any pastor would be pleased with that.  As I was.

The Heavenly Father has given you the greatest honor of your life, friend, by calling you into His service.  Don’t mess it up.