Psalms 87:6; Colossians 4:7-18
Part 3
Luke, the beloved physician. Isn’t that a lovely title? I suppose Luke’s business was that of a physician, but he discharged this business responsibility in such a way that he could be spoken of as Luke, the beloved physician. His secular occupation was not out of keeping with his Christian profession.
One meshed right into the other. There was no inconsistency; He carried Christ with him into the sick room. He was Luke, the beloved physician.
Perhaps you are a carpenter, and you might be the beloved carpenter, because you carry Christ with you; or you might be a stenographer, but you could be the beloved stenographer, because you take Christ with you to the office. You do not divorce your secular employment from your Christian profession. They both go together. They run parallel, like the two rails that carry the train across the continent. If one left the other, you would have catastrophe. So there will be catastrophe in your Christian life, if the rail of your profession leaves the rail of your practical godliness.
Demas. Ah, there is pathos there. When it comes to Demas, all we get is “and Demas.” Thereby hangs a tale. It was not so long afterward that Paul had to write,
“Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Tim. 4:10).
No doubt Paul was apprehensive at this moment. He knew there was something wrong. Perhaps he did not know what it was, but all he could say was “and Demas.”
O, dear young Christian, that is very sad. Nothing could be said. There was just the mere mention of his name.
As we go about the country, we come to a meeting where we have not been for a year or so, and we say, “Where is So-and-So?”
“O, didn’t you hear that he left the meeting?”
And Demas! What can you find that will attract you more than Christ? What do you think will ever be presented to your soul, as long as you are in this scene that will compete with Christ in your affections? Do you think anything can ever be offered to you that is comparable to that precious Name?
What causes young folks to drop out of the meeting? Christ has lost His charm to the soul. Perhaps they have not given Him up, but they want “Christ and-.” We could mention a hundred different things. Perhaps it is Christ and service. I hear of some who have left the place where Christ is in the midst of two or three gathered to His name, because they wanted to be in places where they could serve Him better. What a sad thing to let service rob you of your loyalty to Christ! Remember, “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”
Others drop out because they find the world attractive. I suppose if I were to canvass this meeting, I would be told of some who dropped out since I was last here, and you might say, “He wanted this” or “She wanted that.” It might be service, it might be marriage, it might be popularity, but it was something else than Christ. Demas loved this present world.
Archippus. “Take heed to fulfill the ministry which thou hast received.” O, dear young Christian, how is it back in your little gathering? Are you fulfilling the place where the Lord has put you? Are you walking before His eye? Are you taking heed to fulfill what has been committed to you? It is possible for us to have received a distinct commission from the Lord for a certain work we are to do for Him. It is possible to receive that and not do it. Archippus was in danger of becoming careless and giving up. Perhaps he was thinking, “This little work I am doing is not very important after all.”
He was slipping, and the Apostle by the Spirit says, “Archippus, take heed.”
Now, suppose you put your name in there. Let us every one put our names in there this afternoon. Everyone has his bit to do in the path of witness and testimony for Christ; just as when this building was erected, each one came and did his bit. Perhaps one man worked here for months, and another for ten minutes. Each one was necessary in order that this great structure might be here today.
So it is in the work of our blessed Lord. Now is the time to do it. He is coming, and what we leave undone, we will never be able to do. Remember, the only place to testify for your blessed Lord is here. You can’t do it in glory. Now is the time to seek to witness for Him and to live for Him.
“The Lord shall count, when He writeth up the people” (Psa. 87:6). We are all being written up. Let us hear the word to Archippus.
(Concluded)