What is Partnership?

It’s the 21st Century... and you’ve been thrown into prison because you keep preaching about Jesus. The conditions are terrible, and it’s brought shame on your family... many of your friends have distanced themselves from you – if not deserted you altogether.

What would you do? What would be on your mind? What would your priorities be?

Well, for Paul, back in the first century – even his imprisonment and potential death sentence, didn’t alter his priority to keep gossiping the Gospel, such that it spread throughout the whole imperial guard.

Paul was mindful of the church in Philippi, eager to ensure they understood that his imprisonment wasn’t a setback for gospel advancement. He also wanted to thank the Philippians for their real partnership, which looked like:

  • not being ashamed of the gospel, nor its servant Paul, no matter what shame might be faced (Philippians 1:3-5; 4:14-15).
  • standing firm, united in purpose to contend for the faith, engaged in the exact same work as Paul (Philippians 1:27-30).
  • not simply receiving Paul’s prayer letters, but in real relationship with him, sharing news with one another, mutually praying for one another, eager to encourage and spur one another on (Philippians 1:18-20, 1:3-5; 2:19; 2:25).
  • a church that didn’t simply have a poster of Paul on their mission information board, but sent a key member of the congregation to encourage Paul in person (Philippians 2:25).
  • a church that didn’t simply give money to a mission society, but personally helped to finance Paul’s work to enable the gospel to be proclaimed to the ends of the earth (Philippians 4:16-18).

Many gospel workers, like Paul, are in areas where the message of Christ crucified is unknown, distorted, or resolutely opposed... within Europe and beyond (or within European capital cities and beyond).

Therefore the local church has a vital role to play in God’s agenda, to bring salvation to the ends of earth.

How?

Through true gospel partnership: individuals and whole churches partnering in the work through prayer, finances and genuine relationship – like that modelled between the Philippians and Paul, as they get on board with God’s agenda, of taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.

A great way to start this process is with a Crosslinks Mission Consultation »