“People from your church seem different from other Americans,” an Afghan refugee said to my husband and me one evening over a decade ago. “Is it because of your faith?”
My husband and I exchanged surprised glances.
It was like someone lobbing a slow ball as you grip a bat at home plate—what better opportunity to talk about Jesus than to be directly asked?
But this observation was years in the making.
While we had met this Afghan family a few months ago, our church had been investing in their lives for a couple of years.
I was giving English lessons to the wife, and often my spouse would come along to chat with the head of the household.
This question would shape my understanding of the importance of witnessing to nonbelievers as a church.
It’s easier to write off someone as a “good person” than to determine an entire group of people are the same.
The power of laboring together for the gospel is for outsiders to see its transforming power displayed in the lives of church members.
The power of laboring together for the gospel is for outsiders to see its transforming power in the lives of church members.
How the Early Church Was Laboring Together for the Gospel
Throughout the book of Acts, we see a pattern in ministry: Christians aren’t going it alone—they work together.
Acts 2:1 HCSB says, “When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place.” The Holy Spirit came when the disciples were together, not sitting in their separate homes.
The coming of the Spirit served as a springboard for testifying about Jesus powerfully to crowds in multiple languages.
Here are multiple examples of how the early church labored together for the gospel:
- The lame beggar was healed when Peter and John were together, and it led to sharing the gospel with a group gathered in the temple (Acts 3).
- Saul was welcomed into the family of Christ by Ananias, praying for his healing (Acts 9:17) and escaped a plot to end his life because believers lowered him down a basket at night (Acts 9:23–25).
- Peter didn’t visit Cornelius’s household solo but brought along others from church (Acts 10:23).
- Barnabas discipled Saul by bringing him along in his ministry (Acts 11:25).
- The church commissioned Paul and Barnabas to share the gospel with Gentiles (Acts 13:3).
- Paul consistently folded believers like Timothy and Silas into his work (Acts 15:40; Acts 16:3).
- Priscilla and Aquila pulled Apollo aside when they realized he wasn’t up to speed about Jesus, resulting in his outreach growing (Acts 18:26–28).
Again and again, the early church members partnered together to live out their faith, and as a result, the gospel flourished.
The early church members partnered together to live out their faith and as a result, the gospel flourished.
The Gospel Shines While Laboring Together for the Gospel
When the church is serving alongside one another, the gospel shines brightly.
Jesus stated that the world will “know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35).
As nonbelievers observe the church caring for one another and the world, this witness is like a firefly glowing in the night. The more they see this displayed, the more the field becomes aglow with light.
There’s nothing quite as breathtaking as a field full of fireflies on a midwestern summer night, except the glow of the gospel spreading far and wide.
The impact of the church’s witness is not to be underestimated. When we link arms to reach out to the lost, we become lights so that the world can clearly see our “good works and give glory” to God (Mt 5:16).
The impact of the church’s witness is as breathtaking as a field full of fireflies on a midwestern summer night.
Inviting Others to Labor Together for the Gospel
In the weeks and months after my epiphany, I looked for natural ways to invite another Christian into an outing or who could walk alongside me.
When I was introduced to two female Muslim international college students, I asked a church friend to join me in forging a relationship.
I discovered conversations flowed easily with another believer present, and the chances to share the gospel surfaced more frequently.
The connection went deeper because another church member was praying over the relationship.
When Easter rolled around, we extended an invitation to attend our church and come over for a meal afterward.
The students eagerly accepted their first invitation to a church service and were curious about what it would be like.
During a Sunday night service, our pastor asked how the church could respond when two Muslims attended church on Easter Sunday.
After giving a brief answer about not offering to shake their hands according to Muslim cultural norms and not staring at their head coverings, a church member prayed for the two expected guests.
Since my friend and I needed to be fully present with the ladies, our husbands prepared the Easter meal of lamb. This made an impression on our Muslim friends because they didn’t expect the men to cook a meal for guests.
The two college students were warmly welcomed by church members, and the conversation following the service was encouraging.
The people involved in this Easter ministry were laboring together for the gospel to be shared in deeper ways with these Muslims.
Conversations with nonbelievers can flow more easily with other believers present, and the chances to share the gospel may surface more frequently.
The Gospel’s Pattern of Transformation In Us
The gospel is placed on display in the church and is powerful in communicating truth to nonbelievers in ways we, as individuals, cannot.
The lost are more likely to see Jesus in us when they notice a clear pattern of transformation in us.
In Conversion: How God Creates a People, author Michael Lawrence shares a story about a man who became a believer from seeing members of the church who had no reason to spend time together, engaged in one another’s lives.
This man glimpsed the power of the gospel and its impact on the church—and it was the “aroma of life” (2 Cor 2:16).
The gospel is magnified in the church because it brings individuals together whose only common denominator is Christ.
When we intentionally invite other Christians into our relationships with nonbelievers, we give non-Christians a glimpse into the power of the gospel to work a pattern of transformation in us.
The lost are more likely to see Jesus in us when they notice a clear pattern of transformation in us.
Opportunities for Laboring Together for the Gospel
We can look for opportunities to collaborate with other Christians as we invest in the lives of unbelievers.
It could be as simple as inviting a church member to join you and a neighbor for a game night.
Also, it could be a bigger endeavor like launching a discovery Bible study. This would be a study that provides an overview of the Bible for those with limited or no familiarity with Scripture. You can do this together in your community.
When we labor with fellow believers to reach the lost, our witness is as dazzling as sparklers to children on the Fourth of July.
Our faith increases as we watch the power of the gospel point the world to the beauty and hope found in Jesus.
As we strive to exalt Christ in our neighborhoods, may we not forget to tap into a powerful tool God has given us in outreach—our local church.
– Jenny Marcelene
Jenny Marcelene spent six years living in conservative Muslim countries and desires to help parents and children catch a glimpse of how God is at work among the nations. Her publishing credits include online articles in The Gospel Coalition, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Momma Theologians, Velvet Ashes, and Gospel-Centered Family. You can connect with her online by visiting her blog, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
