The pattern of our world celebrates the “lone ranger” over the one who seeks cooperation. We value competency rather than dependency, and individual achievement over cooperation. We laud the “self-made” man, and we are trained to market our own brand at the expense of all others.
Unfortunately, these values have seeped into the church, but God calls us to live counter-cultural. Paul’s letter to the Philippians leads with an elevation of a key component in successful ministry: “partnership in the gospel.”
Observations and Conclusions:
Partnership in God’s Kingdom is:
10. Continual – vs 5
9. Completed by Christ – vs 6
8. Consistent – vs 7
7. Connected – vs 7b
6. Cascading – vs 9
5. Cooperative – vs 9b
4. Clarifying – vs 10
3. Cleansing – vs 10
2. Crowning – vs 11
1. Charitable – vs 3-4 – vs 8
Application:
Partnership in God’s Kingdom looks like:
- Develop Ministry Partners – best when from other churches
- Pray for your brothers and sisters in other congregations