“So he answered and said to me: ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts.'” Zechariah 4:6 NKJV
“God provides the power. The word ‘might’ refers to military might, what people can do together, but the remnant had no army. ‘Power’ refers to what an individual could do, but Zerubbabel’s strength was no doubt waning. ‘Don’t be discouraged!’ was the essence of the prophet’s message. The Spirit of God will enable us to do what an army could never do” (Warren W. Wiersbe).
Commenting about 2 Kings 2, Wiersbe writes: “During the years that Elijah and Elisha worked together, they came to love and appreciate one another in a deeper way. Note that Jesus sent out His disciples to do ministry in pairs (Mark 6:7) … These two men represented different generations and opposite personalities, yet they were able to walk together.”
“Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.” 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 NKJV
Warren Wiersbe explains Paul’s mission field: “Three main lessons appear from the image Paul provided of his role in the greater work of God’s ministry ‘farm’: First, diversity of ministry. One laborer plows the soil, another sows the seed, a third waters the seed. As time passes, the plants grow, the fruit appears, and other laborers enjoy reaping the harvest … Humility of spirit … The sower and the reaper not only work together, but one day they shall rejoice together and receive their own rewards.”
“So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily. Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia … to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia …” Acts 16:5-12 NKJV
Because Paul and Silas obeyed the promptings of the Holy Spirit, unusual things happened. All throughout his ministry, Paul partnered with specific people time after time. Paul and Silas were thrown in jail in Philippi. When the earthquake came and the doors opened, their chains fell off. The Philippian jailer “brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved…'” Acts 16:30-31 NKJV
“So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.” Acts 16:40 NKJV
Paul had many partners on his team. Timothy was very special. As Paul wrote his letter back to the Philippians, he began: “Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:1 NKJV). Paul wrote two letters addressed to Timothy, but some of the most significant words that he wrote were: “But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:5 NKJV
This admonition should be followed by every believer in Jesus Christ who has the desire to fulfill the great commission by sharing the answer to the Philippian jailer’s question: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Because of technology and other advancements, opportunities that did not exist until recent years abound now and can be utilized to communicate the Gospel.
TTT Christian Youth Ministries makes available God’s ABCs of salvation in print and online. People who have made the determination to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are urged to share the answer to the question “What must I do to be saved?”.
If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, will you share God’s good news, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you to tell the truth to others?