Kingdom Partnerships

Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20, NET Bible)

At the end of his time on earth, Jesus told his disciples (which includes us today) to go and make disciples of all nations (literally, all “people groups”). This is a huge responsibility. In fact, if you were one of those original disciples, it truly would have been overwhelming. Think about it. They had no Internet, printing press, TV, radio, car, plane, or even portable copies of scripture. Jesus gave them a task that was truly beyond their capabilities. And that is the way he meant it. From the beginning, the work of spreading the gospel message around the world was meant to be one based on kingdom partnerships.

First and foremost, we were meant to have a partnership with the King of Kings himself. Perhaps we are too quick to read past Jesus’ promise that he will be with us. We think of it during times of trouble—and indeed he is there when we are in need. But the context here is not just a promise that Jesus is there to comfort us. The promise here is meant to assure us of that we will have his power and authority to fulfill his commandment. It parallels God’s promise to Joshua that he would be with him as he went in to conquer the Promised Land (Joshua 1:5, 9).

Equally important, we were meant to make disciples as a team. Though there are some rare exceptions, the biblical model of ministry clearly demonstrates the importance of working together. Paul experienced this when he went on his first missionary journey with Barnabas (Acts 13-14). He experienced this when the church in Philippi financially supported his ministry (Philippians 4:10-19). He reinforced this concept when he taught us that the church is a body, and each of us has a unique role to play (1 Corinthians 12).

Kingdom Partnerships: It is not a slogan; it is God’s plan for ministry.