Article
Going Further Together
I am many things, but a natural sprinter is not one of them. As an athlete sprinting was always a necessary means to an end to score the basket, touchdown, or goal. However, the beauty of a team sport was that when I got tired, there was always someone there to encourage me, exhort me, challenge me, push me, help me, or sub in for me. It was those strategic partnerships and mutual commitments to each other that helped us get across the finish line of winning many games and going further together than anyone of us ever thought initially possible or plausible.
It has been frequently said by many, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” As pastors, church planters, and gospel ministry workers how many times do we truly find ourselves focusing on going faster rather than focusing on going further? We are often tempted to focus on efficiency over effectiveness, numbers over names, and doing more instead of being more. We find ourselves too busy to truly pray fervently and slip into being more self-dependent than Savior or Scripture dependent. We begin to isolate and insulate not wanting others to slow us down. In doing so, eventually, and inevitably, we burn out and/or flame out.
God values further more than faster, and the key to going further for the gospel is partnering together in the gospel. Jesus always sent out his disciples as a team, and He desires for us to partner on mission together, today, as well. We are all united as a unique part of Jesus’ church globally operating as Kingdom embassies and Gospel outposts locally. We are unique in context but united in mission; knit together in heart and bound together by God’s love. When one falls, others pick them up.
God values further more than faster, and the key to going further for the gospel is partnering together in the gospel.
When one has a need, others stand up. When one tires, others step up. When one rejoices, we celebrate together. When one mourns, we weep together. When the world shakes us, we stand firmly together. Always, we pray fervently together.
This is the heart of Jesus for us and a main emphasis of the Apostle Paul’s message to us in Ephesians. Paul exhorts partner churches to walk worthy in the face of hostility from outside the church, and fight voraciously for unity within the church.
When one falls, others pick them up. When one has a need, others stand up. When one tires, others step up.
We must grow deeper together in the love of God to go further together in sharing the Gospel of God as we partner on mission for the glory of God.
Paul exclaims,“Now to Him (God) who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Within this powerful prayer, Paul provides a roadmap for going further together for the Lord:
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Believe Bigger: God is able & God is able now! How would your life and ministry changed if you actually believed God could do what you deem impossible? He can!
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Pray Bolder: How would your prayer life change if you genuinely believed God is able? He is!
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Unleash God’s Power: We can’t do God’s work in our strength, but we often try. The word for power in this text is dynamis; from which we get our English word dynamite. When God shows up things blow up. When we partner together for the glory of God, we go so much further in advancing the Kingdom of God.
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Prioritize God’s Glory: So often we don’t partner together because, whether we admit it or not, we want to hoard the glory for ourselves instead of bringing God glory.
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Impact Generations For All Eternity: We must build what lasts and invest ourselves in what truly matters. Let’s unleash the power of God by partnering together to advance the Kingdom of God and see lives changed, families transformed, and the world altered.
Let’s go further by going together with humility as bold and courageous heralds of Christ’s eternal victory.
Let’s go farther by going together with humility as bold and courageous heralds of Christ’s eternal victory.
President Harry Truman once said, “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit. The Apostle Paul takes that a step further and conveys the life-changing reality that it’s truly mind-blowing what we can accomplish together when all we care about is that Jesus gets the credit.