Gospel Partnerships-Why We Need Them

When I was a kid there was this bully who wanted to fight me. I was scared because he was several years older than I was, and I just knew he was going to pummel me. As I walked along the school bus yard to face my bully, my brother, Randy, ran up beside me. Instantly, I lost all my fear, and I knew that no matter what happened we would take care of it together. It was our job to always be there for one another. My dad told us all our lives growing up that if we stuck together there was nothing that we could not face.

One of the wonderful aspects of the church is that we do not have to face this world alone; we do not have to go on this faith journey by ourselves. We have brothers and sisters in Christ who are on this walk of faith with us, traveling along, just as we are, trying to live for Jesus and navigate the struggles of this world. 

When we must face the ugly realities of sin in our lives; when we endure the pain of the loss of a loved one; when we are struggling financially; when we feel lost or unsure, God has provided us the most beautiful and meaningful aid to us-the church. 

The church is where we come together to not only exalt Christ but to get equipped to live for Jesus and engage the world with the gospel. Part of being equipped to live for Jesus includes learning and growing in God’s word, but it also includes building and strengthening godly relationships. 

The church is where we partner with others to grow in the gospel. In Christ, the church provides for the needs of its members, both physically and spiritually. 

As Paul is writing to the Philippian believers, he gives a prayer of thanksgiving. In verses 3-5 of chapter 1 Paul writes, 

“I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”

Paul says that he is thankful for the church because they are his partners. They have joined with him, shared with him, supported him, and endured with him. As a partner, they shared in Paul’s victories and wept with him in his defeats. 

While Paul was writing this letter he was in a Roman prison and while in prison he wrote several letters, three that we know of. All three of the letters were written to churches that had partnered with Paul for the advancement of the gospel. This fact tells us an extremely important principle: We cannot serve Jesus on an island. 

We must partner with others to both grow in Christ and advance His gospel.

I want to encourage you today to stop looking at your walk with Christ and your life in general from an individual point of view. If you are in Christ, you are part of the worldwide community of believers. If you are in a local church, which you should be as an obedient believer, you have people all around you who are there to serve, uplift, share, and care alongside of you in your walk. 

You have people around you who are ready to battle the gates of hell with you and subsequently, there are fellow believers around you that need you to take up arms with them and help them fight their battles, endure their trials, or celebrate their victories. 

As we partner with others in this walk, we are simultaneously strengthening one another in Christlikeness. As we grow in Christ, we are growing in His gospel and as we grow in the gospel we will grow as disicplemakers. So, partnering with others is not simply for our benefit. As we partner and grow in these gospel relationships, we also grow in our ability to expand the kingdom of God as we make disciples. 

There are several benefits to gospel partnerships: 

1.     We are strengthened in our walk by others who are pursuing Jesus

2.     We are encouraged to follow Christ’s commands to make disciples

3.     We are given an opportunity to minister the gospel to other believers

4.     We realize others have gone through and are going through similar circumstances

5.     We glorify Christ as we love others the way he has loved us

Take the time to invest in gospel-centered relationships. We need them more than we realize and maybe more than we are willing to admit. 

Father, thank you for providing the church. Thank you for my church. Help me to open myself up to others for gospel partnerships. Help me to be a friend who pushes others to Jesus. Help me to be pushed to Jesus by others. Strengthen my relationships with fellow believers so we can impact the world for your glory. Amen. 

In Christ, 

Brad Delaughter