The Purpose of Partnering in the Ministry

[This is the final section from Dr. Mark Golden’s message delivered to the fall meeting of Haywood Baptist Association based on Philippians 1:3-5.]

Every powerful tool and every beautiful privilege must ultimately point toward a specific objective, or it becomes useless. 

Paul locks down the exact coordinates of our focus in verse 5: “because of your partnership in the gospel.”

The phrase "in the gospel" is the anchor of the entire passage. The Philippians did not partner with Paul to build an earthly empire, to elevate Paul's personal platform, or to advance a social club. Their singular, laser-focused purpose was the proclamation, defense, and expansion of the message of Jesus Christ.

It is tragically easy for a local church—and an association of churches—to lose their way. Congregations can easily become inwardly-focused, entirely consumed by internal preferences.

The association exists to serve as a constant, reminder. It aggressively reminds us of our true purpose: the Great Commission. We cooperate because the map of spiritual lostness right outside our church doors is far too massive for any single congregation to conquer on its own. We stay united because the harvest is plentiful, the time is short, and the mission of saving souls demands that we keep the main thing the main thing.

In the late 1960s, during the height of the space race, a visitor was walking through the NASA space center late at night. He noticed a janitor mopping the floors in one of the corridors. The visitor walked up to the man and asked, "Sir, what exactly is your job here at NASA?" The janitor didn't reply, "I'm wiping down floors," or "I'm emptying trash cans." Instead, he put down his mop, looked the visitor in the eye, and proudly said, "My job is helping put a man on the moon." He understood that every single floor swept and every trash can emptied was directly linked to the ultimate purpose of the entire organization. In our association, whether a church is teaching a toddler Sunday school class, hosting a youth rally, cooking a meal for disaster relief, or giving to cooperative missions, we aren't just staying busy. Our shared purpose is helping fulfill the Great Commission and taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.

The culture around us is changing, and the spiritual warfare facing our local congregations is intensifying. But the gospel has not lost an ounce of its authority.  Let us leave this associational meeting tonight with a renewed commitment to our shared covenant. Let us tap into the power of our unity, cherish the privilege of our fellowship, and march forward with an uncompromised focus on our ultimate purpose—the advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.