Serve Together

Perhaps the greatest difficulty world-type leaders have with leadership in God’s Church is this: God’s Leaders Serve Together.  In the world, the best man or woman is supposed to win.  In the world, there’s only room for one at a time climbing that ladder.  In the world, there may be a whole team, but the focus is on one candidate.  In the world it’s all about the power of one.  In God’s Church, though, it’s all about the team.

Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. (Mark 6:7 NIV)

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. (Luke 10:1 NIV)

As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. (Luke 19:29-30 NIV)

So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' (Mark 14:13-14 NIV)

"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew 18:19-20 NIV)

Jesus regularly sent out his followers two by two.  He even empowered us in a special way when there are two ore more of us gathering in his name, agreeing in ministry.  God’s Church is designed to serve together as a team.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7 NIV)

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body--whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14 NIV)

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV)

This requires leaders in God’s church to have a regular lifestyle of humility.  There is much greater power, effectiveness, and love when we serve together.  More than that, it is God’s Design for His Church.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (Romans 12:3-5 NIV)

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV)

So how about you?  Do you serve together with others?