Together is better

Today is going to be great. I have another zoom induction service of a Pastor commencing in his new church. I will bring the church and Pastor together for a new day and season and I am praying the years ahead are wonderful ones and that together they will impact their town and area with the gospel.

In our next chapter of Matthew today we read of a new day for the disciples. Jesus is getting them ready to go out on a short Missions trip for Him. What is important in this opening verse is that Jesus expects them to go together, the other gospels have Jesus sending them out in two’s.

“Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” (Matthew 10 v 1)

The social distancing that has been needed since the start of this pandemic has only heightened the fact that we are social beings and when that is taken away we struggle. The vast majority want to be together again and it is what we are looking forward to.

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him, together.

• Community is more important to Jesus than it has been for us over the years, we realise that now.
• Our calling and our destiny is better discovered and expressed through community than trying to convince a community of our individual, personal revelation of the ministry Jesus wants us to do.

Jesus gave them authority, together.

• ‘Bless me’ should be changed to ‘bless us’ and ‘fill me’ changed to ‘fill us’ and so on.
• Singing songs together then we should sing songs more about us rather than me. There is a place for personal worship but perhaps the powerful moments are also in the understanding that Jesus wants to pour out His Spirit on us.

Jesus gave them authority, together, to drive out and heal.

• We were never meant to go it alone.
• Driving out demons and healing is just too much for an individual anointed one man/woman band. Maybe there are too many temptations for stardom. If the team conquer Everest it’s not important which foot got there first, the team did. The gospel was meant to be shared together and when we minister to people it should be done at least with another if possible.

How are your horizontal relationships? Who are you walking with? Who is holding you accountable and who is laughing with you? Share your life, it is better that way.