Scripture
7For they are traveling for the Lord, (They went out on behalf of the Name) and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. 8So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth. 9I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us. 3 John 1:7-9
Observation
The Apostle John is encouraging the local church to consider the power of Kingdom collaboration with the messengers of the Gospel coming through their city. I love the Greek speaks of them going out “on behalf of the Name.” Notice it’s capitalized? They aren’t traveling for their name but The Name of Jesus the Lord. This stands in stark contrast to Diotrephes who sees any other minister as a threat. He’s trying to make a name for himself and “refuses to have anything to do with” what Jesus is wanting to do if its being done through anyone else but him. Instead of seeing other ministers as an opportunity for collaboration he sees them as competition. When John challenges the church to partner with the truth tellers the Greek word he uses is “synergos” which is where we get our English word synergy. It means a “co-laborer, companion, helper.” It’s used in partnering with God and those who follow God. It’s about promoting others ahead of self and ultimately about the advancement of the kingdom of God. The synergy of servanthood is hard work because it requires humility. It’s the poignant picture of Jesus telling His disciples, then and now, the harvest is so great and ripe and you are so few that if you don’t work with me and those I bring to you many will end up in a Christ-less eternity.
Application
Sadly, with the rise of celebrity Christianity and the promotion of personality over God’s presence it seems we have a whole lot of Diotrophes running around and very few servants willing to work together with others. It’s been my experience that some of the most insecure people I know are pastors. I’m not talking just about others, I’m talking about myself. How many times have I missed out on a Kingdom opportunity to collaborate because I was insecure about losing “my people” to someone more gifted and anointed than I? I remember something the Lord showed me so clearly in the Great Unravelling of 2020. I looked at every church, big and small, popular and unknown, and all of us were on the same level- none of us knew what to do or how to lead others through a worldwide Pandemic. For a little while the church was humbled and we saw our need for each other. The sign outside the door didn’t matter as much The Name over our hearts because we couldn’t even meet in our buildings anyway. All of the Diotrophes thinking was put on hold as we saw our need for each other. Churches that didn’t have a place to meet due to being kicked out were welcomed in to churches that had buildings. That was then, this is now. I’m seeing the return to silo thinking instead of the synergy of servanthood. Everyone’s numbers are lower then pre-pandemic and this is causing many pastors to panic and hold tightly to the few they have. We are missing the harvest because we are focused on ourselves. I've heard synergy described as one + one = three. In other words we can get so much more done together than apart. It's time to choose synergy over celebrity. We've been called to Do Church As A Team not as a rock star. There's only One Rock and I'm not Him. There's only One Morningstar and I'm not Him! We make Jesus famous when we collaborate instead of compete as the Body of Christ!
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for my part in this. We are at a crucial time where if we can just get over ourselves we can see the power of unity in reaching a people drowning in fear and looking for hope. This isn’t about my kingdom but Yours. These aren’t my people but Yours. This isn’t my church, but Yours. I want to thank you for the amazing ministers you have called to North County that I can partner with to reach more on behalf of Your Name! I’ve been called to serve Your agenda not my own. I’ve been called to serve Your people not myself.
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