Churches in Partnership: Developing a Kingdom Mindset that extends beyond the local church

God has called Christians to gather together in fellowship in the local church. We see evidences of the local church throughout Scripture, when we read of the churches of Galatia, the church of Philippi, the church of Thessalonica, and many others.

Even as these churches began to form in the New Testament, it is evident that these early Christians had a kingdom perspective that extended beyond their local gathering of believers. They weren’t seeking to build their own mini-kingdom, but they were concerned about advancing the Kingdom of God.

Paul in his letter to the Philippians he writes, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” (Philippians 1:3-5 ESV)

Partnership in the gospel. This is what I believe characterized the early churches. They partnered together in the gospel. We will see this in more detail. But before we do, why should churches partner together at all? Why not just focus on what the Lord is doing in our own congregation?

There are a hundred reasons why you shouldnt work together with other churches. You have limited time, resources, and people in your church. Isnt it possible to overcommit these God-give gifts by deploying them in ways God doesn’t intend? Your church has a unique theological and philisophical identity. What if you wake up and find yourself unequally yoked to another church that believes and behaves differently? You have a deep desire to reach people and influence them to see God the way you see him. Wont there be people who are reached ny your partnership ministry who decide to go to other churches or denominations? After all, you’re only half joking when you call the other churches “the competition.”

So why do it? What would drive churches, already stretched thin by their own ministry needs and finananical pressures, to engage in kingdom partnership? What would make them work together selflessly, even when their own congregations might not benefit at all.

This is what Chris Bruno and Matt Dirks answer for us in their book, Churches Partnering Together: Biblical Strategies for Fellowship, Evangelism, and Compassion.

When the early church was formed, amazing growth happened after Pentecost. 3,000 souls received the good news of salvation, after Peter’s sermon (Acts 2:41). The early church was such a vibrant community that “the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved!” (Acts 2:47). How awesome is that! After Peter’s second sermon, the number of those who heard the message and believed were about 5,000 people (Acts 4:4)!. Not only was God adding such explosive growth, he was moving among them through their prayers, “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Spirit and began to speak the Word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:31)!. People were being saved, the Spirit was filling people and giving them boldness in evangelism, I would have loved to have been there. Shortly after that things begin to go south.

This growth caused a good problem. While the church continued to increase in number, some Greek widows were being neglected, but the Lord prevented the church from splitting by calling out the first deacons. Shortly after that, one of these deacons named Stephen was preaching a bold sermon, and unlike the amazing result’s of Peter, stephen’s sermon cost him his life. He was martyred, and that led to intense persecution, and many in this church at Jerusalem scattered in the regions of Judea and Samaria.

Persecution has now devastated the amazing growth in the Jerusalem church. Even in the midst of such devastation, God was still at work, as Saul was converted on his way to cause more havoc on the church, and through Peter, the first Gentile family was converted to Christ. Some of those who were displaced from Jerusalem had gone to Phoenicia, Cyrpus, and Antioch, and “the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.” (Acts 11:21). God continued to do great things even as the church scattered.

Yet, Acts 11:27 things take a turn. Some prophets cam down from Jerusalem to Antioch and one of them named Agabus, prophecised that there would be a great famine all over the world, and Acts records that indeed happened during the reign of Claudius. (Acts 11:27-28)

The Jerusalem church had been wrecked by persecution, and now they will be wrecked by a natural disaster. But the church at antioch began a partnership with the church at Jerusalem that very day.

The Beginning of Kingdom Partnership

“And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the Brethren living in Judea. And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul, to the elders.” (Acts 11:29-30).

The church at Jerusalem that had experienced explosive growth, now found themselves in a situation that they could not handle on their own. Several of their members had left, and now many others were facing poverty.

The church at antioch stepped up to share their burden and send relief. We see this partnership continue when Paul was extended the right hand of fellowship by the apostles.

And recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They only asked us to remember the poor-the very thing I was also eager to do. (Galatians 2:9-10)

Do you see this? The apostles at Jerusalem began a partnership with Paul and Barnabas. They had the same gospel, but called to different people groups, but they asked Paul and Barnabas as they went out planting churches among the gentiles to remember the poor? What poor? In the context of the New Testament, I believe he is referring to the poor in Jerusalem affected by persecution and famine. As gentile churches were planted, these churches in gentile regions had in their DNA as a church the mindset of kingdom partnership. They gave of their money to support the church at Jerusalem.

Paul continued to go into different regions, such as the regions of Galatia (Acts 13-14), Macedonia (Acts 16-17), Achaia (Acts 18) and Asia (Acts 19). As Paul began preaching and establishing local churches of believers, he called these churches into partnership with one another for the greater good of the Kingdom. Each church he planted was to collect money for the poor in Jerusalem.

Listen to Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:

“Now concerning the collections for the saints, as I directed the churches in Galatia, so do you also. On the first day of every week, each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections me made when I come. When I arrive, whomever you approve, I will send them with letters, to carry your gift to Jerusalem., and it is fitting for me to go also, they will go with me. But I will come to you after I go through Macedonia, for I am going through Macedonia.”

Paul had directed the churches of Galatia, and now the church at Corinth to take up a collection, to approve someone to send them to Jerusalem with their contribution.

What happened in Macedonia when Paul went there?

Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abudnace of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability and beyond their ability, they have of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints.” (2 Corinthians 8:1-4)

Wow!! The churches at Macedonia were filled with joy, but they didnt have much to give, but they gave sacrificially (beyond their ability) because they were eager for kingdom partnership. They wanted to help in the support of the saints at Jerusalem.

Now you have the churches of Antioch, Galatia, Corinth, and Macedonia joining together, giving what they can, to support the church at Jerusalem.

What good does kingdom partnership like this do?

Paul answers that in 2 Corinthians 9:

For the ministry of this service is not only fully supporting the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them all.

Not only were the needs of those saints in Jerusalem being met through these churches sacrificing of their own resources for the sake of kingdom partnership, thanksgivings to God were overflowing. This kingdom partnership was resulting in the praise of God! People would give God glory because of the obedience of these churches, and because of their confession of the gospel.

I believe what this text says is those who confess the gospel will display that confession through the liberality of their giving to benefit other churches for the sake of the kingdom.

Romans 15 Paul writes this:

“For Macedonia and Achaia have bee pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.” (Romans 15:25-27).

We now have the churches in Achaia added to the list, and they are contributing to the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. Paul says they are indebted to them. I do not believe this a forced giving, but I believe they feel indebted to them, because the gospel came forth from the church at Jerusalem. The Gentiles now share in spiritual things, they have received the gospel, so now, they are responding in meeting the physical and financial needs of the Jerusalem church.

I hope you can begin to see that the churches of the New Testmanent bought into a vision much bigger than their own local church. They gave of their own resources to help the struggling church of Jerusalem.

What about the churches of Macedonia that gave beyond their means? Shouldn’t they have kept more for themselves? Imagine what kind of initiatives each church could have begun if they didn’t contribute to the Jerusalem collection. But they didnt see it that way.. They saw a church in need, and joined other churches in association and cooperation to meet that need collectively together.

I bet some churches were able to give more. I bet some churches gave a bigger percentage. But they all partnered together.

This is why I love being a Southern Baptist. This is what I believe as churches we are called to do. Yes, we want our resources to be used in ministry in our own church. We want to minister to people in our own communities. But I believe we must have the same kingdom minded perspective of the early church, that we give some of our own money to be used for kingdom purposes that wont directly benefit us at all.

We dont need to ask, “What do we get out of partnering with the SBC, or the baptist assocation, or this network or that network.?” If we ask that, maybe the answer is we dont benefit from it. Maybe the benefit is much bigger than our local church. Maybe the benefit is churches planted, and churches revitalized.

I recently heard that one of the churches in our state convention had dwindled to 3 people. There are perhaps many factors for that. I don’t want to see churches die. If I can give to help see that church revitalize, or a new church be replanted in their building, then let’s link arms with other churches and watch God bring life to a church on the brink of death.

I personally could not give enough funds to support a missionary by myself. But together with the members of my southern baptist church, and the members of 47,000 other Southern Baptist churches, we have formed the largest missionary sending agency in the world, and those missionaries are multiplying others in those countries, and people from those countries are sending missionaries out to other countries.

Kingdom partnerships lead to multiplication. Churches partnering together can accomplish much more than trying to accomplish things on our own. My desire it is to see more churches form more kingdom partnerships, not less, for the advancement of the kingdom, for the glory of God!