Fellow Workers with the Truth
by George Stroh
March 21, 2011
"Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially strangers; and they testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth." (3 John 1:5-8)
After His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus gave His disciples what is known as "The Great Commission"; "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19,20)
Then just prior to His ascension, Jesus gave us His instructions for evangelizing the world with His gospel message; "...but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit provides the power of God in the form of spiritual gifts. These super natural abilities are to be used to proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and edify His church. He prepares hearts to hear the truth and gives some the faith to believe and be saved. We, for the sake of the Name (Jesus), are to be witnesses proclaiming the gospel to our families, our communities, our country, and everywhere throughout the world.
Some of us are called and gifted to be missionaries, proclaiming the gospel message and planting churches even in far away places (the remotest part of the earth). Others are called to be witnesses closer to home (our Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria). And some of us are specifically called and gifted to support missionaries, sending them on their way in a manner worthy of God. Paul Washer, the Founder of HeartCry Missionary Society put it this way; "Some are called to go down into the well and others are called to hold the rope." Those that are called to the mission field need both our financial support and our prayer support. Our support makes us "...fellow workers in the truth."
I think we sometimes underestimate the great privilege and reward of being "fellow workers in the truth". When a missionary I support, leads someone to the Lord or plants a new church in a part of the world that I'll never even visit, The Lord still counts me a fellow worker in the truth. And if the Lord tarries, that work may multiply and impact generations of believers. And He will still count me a fellow worker for eternity, even after I go home to the Lord. Wow! What a privilege and blessing to be a fellow worker with our financial and prayer support, "holding the rope".
Maranatha Bible Church is currently privileged to support the following missions:
HeartCry Missionary Society
(www.heartcrymissionary.com)
The Masters Seminary
(www.tms.edu)
As fellow workers, I encourage you to go to their websites to learn more about their work and to be praying for them. Of course whether we are personally on the mission field or at home supporting others, we are all to be witnesses, proclaiming the marvelous gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Maranatha!
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