FELLOW WORKERS
3 John 6-8 ESV
6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
This is another short letter from the apostle John. He is writing to Gaius, who is a leader in the church. John encourages Gaius and instructs him concerning missionaries and a church leader who is causing problems. It appears that problems within the church have existed as long as people have made up the church. So when will the church reach total unity and its full potential? I am guessing heaven.
In our verses for today, John is encouraging Gaius to continue helping those missionaries who have gone out to reach the Gentiles. These ministers did not take anything from the people they were sent to reach. Paul would often take the same tactic. There were times that Paul made tents to supplement his ministry needs. There were other times he would receive from the people. This is probably what Paul wrote the Philippian church about when he said he knew how to live humbly and to live in abundance. Not receiving from the Gentiles was most likely more of a leading from the Holy Spirit than it was a hard and fast rule.
In any case, John was instructing Gaius to bring these ministers forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God. And if they were supported in this manner, then Gaius and the church would be doing well. In a manner worthy of God is an interesting phrase. We see Paul pray for the church in Colosse that they would walk worthy of the Lord. But we do not see 'worthy of God' used for financial support. So, we are speculating here that a manner worthy of God is going to be something pleasing to God. This would be support that honors God. And in keeping with how God does things, that would be an abundant supply, not barely scraping by.
The idea is that by supporting these missionaries, the church would be fellow workers for the truth. And that is the phrase that stood out to me the most. When we give to the church, to ministries, and to foreign missions, we are fellow workers for the truth. It's important that we recognize what our giving does. It positions us as fellow workers. Not everyone is called to preach and teach. Not everyone is called to go to the nations. But all of us are called to advance God's Kingdom, and when we give our support, we become fellow workers for the truth. Those who support The Ark are fellow workers with those of us on staff who carry out public ministry tasks. So whatever The Ark accomplishes, those who support it have a part of the reward. John did not say that the missionaries were the only workers for the truth. John listed those giving support. Fellow workers imply partnership and, in the end, a sharing in the rewards.
I am convinced that because The Ark continues to support worldwide missions, it is one of the reasons we have been blessed. When we support missions and ministries, we become fellow workers for the truth. And though the emphasis on foreign missions has declined in the last 30 years, God is still interested in reaching the nations. And we as a church want to do our part. And we want to do our part in a manner worthy of God.
APPLICATION
Whatever we give toward spreading the gospel is good seed in good ground. We'll never regret in heaven what we did on earth to be fellow workers for the truth. Many of the things we are involved in now will not exist or matter 100 years from now. But what we do for the Lord and His gospel has eternal value. God's truth will live forever.