"Partnership Is God’s Plan”

Paul had planted the church at Philippi on his 2nd missionary journey (Acts 16:12). The church had ended up being strategic in reaching Macedonia with the gospel. They had sent Paul several financial gifts (Philippians 4:15–18). And when they heard that Paul was in a Roman prison, they sent Epaphroditus (who many scholars believe was one of the pastors or elders of the church at Philippi) to minister to him (Philippians 2:25).

Additionally, we have evidence that Paul encouraged the church in Philippi to give famine relief to the church at Jerusalem (Rom. 15:26; 2 Cor. 8:1), thus training them to look beyond themselves.

This partnership was something Paul was thankful for. It was a partnership that Paul not only enjoyed with the church at Philippi, but with other churches as well.

The fact that Paul thanked God for this partnership speaks to the fact that Paul saw partnership as God’s plan. It was God’s plan for His churches then and it is God’s plan for His churches today.

Let’s look at Paul’s prayer here and see what we can learn about God’s plan for partnership. (READ TEXT)

1. The Focus of Our Partnership - v. 5

What did Paul mean when he spoke of their “partnership in the gospel?” Well, the gospel is the Good News about Jesus Christ. Who He is and what He has done. That He is God come in the flesh to pay the price for the sins of the world. When anyone acknowledges Him as their personal Lord and Savior, they can be forgiven of their sin and enter into a personal love relationship with the God of the universe.

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” - Romans 10:9 (NIV)

It is the divine expectation of God that the message of salvation through Christ will be spread through-out the entire world by His church, to all people, all nations, everywhere.

“Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” - Mark 16:15 (NLT)

The command is given to all Christ’s followers, including us living today. But how can we obey this command of Christ effectively? The same way the Philippian church did, by working in partnership with other churches and servants of God.

The most basic way Baptist churches partner with other churches is through the association. Why? Because we believe this was the way the early churches worked together to spread the gospel.

In Galatians 1:2, Paul addressed the “churches in Galatia.” In other words, he was writing to a group of churches in the region of Galatia. The churches of Macedonia and Achaia pooled their financial resources to give to the church in Jerusalem (Romans 15:26). In Revelation 2 & 3, John wrote to seven churches who were associated with one another along a major Roman road in a region known as Asia Minor. In 2 Corinthians 8:19, Paul says he was sending men “appointed by the churches to travel with us” to Corinth.

So, believing associations to be a biblical way of organizing to partner together in the spread of the gospel, the local association became the earliest way Baptist churches partnered together.

Later came the formation of state and national associations which have come to be referred to as “conventions.”

So, the focus of our partnership is on the spread of the gospel. Our partnership with one another is not primarily functional (that is, we all do church the same way) although how we function does play a part; or doctrinal (that we all interpret the Bible the same way) although what we believe does play a part; but it is primarily missional (that we all believe the world needs to gospel). Spreading the gospel plays the major part in our partnership.

“If we take our Lord seriously, we must dedicate ourselves fully - time, talent and treasure - to the fulfillment of the Great Commission, not out of a sense of legalistic duty, but out of love and gratitude for what Christ has done for us. If we want to obey Him, He says, ‘Go,’ and that is sufficient reason for going.” - Bill Bright

2. The Benefit of Our Partnership - v. 5

The Greek word translated “partnership” is “koinonia,” which refers to the fellowship enjoyed by those who are part of God's family.

Webster’s dictionary gives these definitions of koinonia:

1. The Christian fellowship or body of believers

2. Intimate spiritual communion and participative sharing in a common religious commitment and spiritual community

The fact that Paul uses the word “koinonia” here to speak of his partnership with the church at Philippi tells us certain things about genuine Christian fellowship.

A. It is based on a common understanding of the gospel.