There is incredible power in a partnership. When we blend personalities, when we blend spiritual gifts, when we blend mercy and truth, God can use that to accomplish incredible things for His Kingdom. Over the next few weeks, I am going to address this subject of partnership in ministry. The missionary team of Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke, a team of godly servants of the Lord, partnered together to bring the Gospel to the people at Thessalonica.  In I Thessalonians 2:1-12, the Apostle Paul gave a description of their ministry, in which you can unmistakably see the beautiful blend of both mercy and truth that can develop when partners in ministry build each other up and shore up each other’s weaknesses. It was no accident that Jesus sent the disciples out two by two.   That is because, in teams, they could blend, and they could balance each other. That meant that when they went someplace, they could meet the needs of people more effectively.  Let’s look at what this effective blended ministry looks like from the words of the Apostle Paul.

First, notice that this type of ministry is never in vain.  Paul and his team went to Thessalonica, a place where the Gospel had never been preached before. As a team, they worked together in that community and brought blended balance into that community; and they presented the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. Blending and balancing as partners together is essential to our success in ministry.  Notice also that they were not preaching their own opinions; they were declaring the whole counsel of God.  The Word of God will effectually work in a person who accepts it in faith. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

It is crucial that we focus on God’s truth and not merely man’s opinion. I know people sometimes come to church and go away saying, “I don’t agree with that.” That is just his opinion. If the message is from the Word of God, it is not just somebody’s opinion; it is powerful, and it is truth. It is the perfect, eternal, and unchanging Word of God.  It should not be a surprise if the absolute truth of the Gospel is not readily received.  When Jesus preached in the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth after His baptism by John, the people heard words of grace and truth, but they did not accept them.

Many people in ministry beat themselves up unnecessarily when the results of their labor are not immediately what they expect. They wonder, “What did I do wrong? I gave the truth. Maybe I was not merciful enough; or maybe I had too much mercy and not enough truth.” Maybe you were out of balance, but if the perfectly balanced Jesus Christ Himself could be rejected, the problem may not be with you!  Never forget that even if people do not accept the message, your ministry is not in vain.  Do not allow yourself to be discouraged if you don’t see immediate results.

The second thing we notice about this team ministry was that they were bold in presenting the gospel. If you do not have a blended, balanced ministry, when people begin rising up and being angry and upset, mercy will say, “You better quiet down, after all you’re offending people.” But, truth pulls the balance and says, “Hey you can’t compromise. You’ve got to tell them the truth. They have to know that Jesus is the Savior and that He rose from the dead.  Go on, speak up, and tell them the truth.” When mercy and truth blend together, balancing each other, the result is a bold proclamation of the truth.  When we present the truth of God’s Word, it must be presented with great and honest confidence because it is not man’s word. It is the living Word of God we boldly present to others.

However, we need to be aware that doing this right does not mean that people will love us and everything will just fall into place.  Paul said they were “shamefully entreated” at Philippi.  Paul was chased out of town, beaten up, arrested, and falsely accused nearly everywhere he went.  When the Gospel goes forth and truth is presented, even when it is blended with mercy, it will very likely cause contention. Boldness is necessary to keep doing right in spite of what people do or what people say.  In verse three, Paul talks about “exhortation.” Exhortation is not lecturing people; it is literally calling them alongside with us.  The same word is sometimes used for the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

When we present the truth boldly, we will dull its effectiveness if we do not speak to people with the truth from a position of drawing them alongside, of encouragement and exhortation. It is important that we hate sin but still love sinners.

Notice the motive that was behind the work Paul and his team did.  They were conscious of their responsibility and accountable unto God. They were not driven by a desire to please or be accepted by men; but rather, their goal was to be pleasing to God.  Yes, we need to be absolutely bold in our presentation of the truth, but we also need to do a thorough check of our own motives, a thorough check of our own hearts, and make certain that we are living our lives in such a way that we can say we are unselfish in our presentation of the truth.

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!

Dr. Paul A. Kingsbury