By Greg Neal

In this week’s One More Thing…, I want to draw attention to an important principle in the ministry of the Apostle Paul. I believe we would all agree that Paul was a great Christian marked by an extraordinary testimony. However, have we considered all the factors that made Paul’s ministry great? I want to highlight one that we may rarely consider.

Paul was not a pastor, but he started churches. He trained pastors, most notably Timothy and Titus. Paul had the distinct calling of an apostle with an unique ministry. Make no mistake: Paul’s ministry was about others. It became as far-reaching as it did because others helped him. Paul’s influence was felt in rare places because of those that helped him.

In Colossians 4:7-18, Paul mentions by name many of those who helped and served alongside him—people he loved dearly. His named co-laborers include:

• Tychicus, a fellow servant
• Onesimus, the restored one
• Aristarchus, a fellow prisoner
• Fellow workers & comforters
• Epaphras, who labored fervently in prayer
• Luke, the faithful physician
• Demas, a faithful co-laborer who deserted to the world
• Nymphas, who had a church in his house

I wrote about these individuals and others in my book Ministry Companions. It is obvious that, as one studies these people, Paul not only served with them but also served them. Paul’s life, lived for others, produced lives that lived for others.

I am no Apostle Paul. I am just a voice and a facilitator. I have lived for others and want to continue living for others. God has special opportunities for those who live for others.

I have challenged the people I pastor through the years to live for Christ by living for others. In one recent challenge, I reminded them of the opportunities that God has put before us. These ministries are either newly established or recently expanded where God is using the work and those involved to help others:

Sunday School Revolution: We have established Sunday School classes in locations all across our city. We also are helping other churches to start Sunday School Revolutions in their own cities.

Bible Studies: We are launching Bible studies in nearby cities that do not have a Bible-believing church.

Evangelistic Crusades: We are planning soulwinning campaigns in neighboring communities to get the Gospel to as many people as possible.

Christian Education: We are expanding our education ministry through daycares, day schools, and our Bible college by planting additional campuses to enable a broader reach.

Camp New Beginnings: We are developing and expanding our camp ministry as an investment in the next generation.

Great Commission Mission: Through a three-part Great Commission effort in Africa, South America, Central America, North America, and the Caribbean, we are training, and will continue to train, national pastors while also distributing Bibles and other resources to expand the Gospel across the globe.

Galatians 6:1 Ministries: This unique ministry is all about helping the prodigal to return and the fallen rise again through “Restoration, Rest, and Revival.”

Weekly Live Broadcast: Our church services will be available throughout U.S. military websites across the nation.

My challenge in all of this was to make an eternal and generational difference by simply working together to invest in others. Just as Paul could not accomplish all he did by himself, no pastor, Sunday school teacher, or ministry worker can make as broad of an impact alone. I need my ministry companions, and so do you.

We know the Apostle Paul was a gifted man with a unique calling. In addition to this, his life teaches an undeniable truth that cannot be ignored: Living for others creates lives that live for others.

So, here is your One More Thing…

Invest in someone who will then invest in someone else.

Paul poured himself into the lives of ordinary people who, in turn, invested in another…and another…and another. His ministry companions made the work expand beyond what he likely ever could have imagined. Hey Paul, do not forget how much you need your ministry companions. And Ministry Companions? Never forget that your “Paul” needs you to minister to someone just as he once ministered to you.

Let us together live lives for others.