Four Hands Are Better Than Two

During the summer of 2000, I took the youth group from Indian Creek Christian Church on a mission trip to Pennsylvania to work with inner-city kids. We did a VBS-style program and did clean-up work around the city. This was the first mission trip I had ever been on, and I had no idea what to expect. We took about 20 kids on the trip, mostly high schoolers, and a handful of adult volunteers. We were also joined by youth groups from other churches. The only thing we all had in common was our love for Christ and what we were about to do for the week. The entire week, we worked with local children, cleaned up the neighborhood, cooked our meals, and cleaned up afterward. We had youth group devotions each night. Some were led by students. What amazed me was the unity we felt as a group the entire week. No one complained about what we had to do, and sometimes it wasn’t fun. Everyone just put their heads down and got to work. The thing that really amazed me was how we galvanized as a group because of our week together. We weren’t a bunch of individuals. We were a family, and we had a deep sense of love for each other. 

And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Acts 2:44–47

We’ve talked about the early Church and how they experienced community for the last few days. We talked about their devotion to the Word, to living life together, and to intentional prayer as a community. The last few verses of Acts 2 focus on how they served together. They sold possessions and together distributed the income from that to feed the hungry among them. Through this, they grew closer together and others saw their deeds and wanted to join in. 

I’m currently in my 29th year of ministry, and I can tell you that nothing that I’ve seen has brought people together like shared ministry experience: mission trips, service projects, and volunteering at church camps. When God’s people are actively doing ministry together, something is just different. The bond that people have tightens. When we are jointly seeking out God’s call for us and living out the Great Commission, it’s no wonder we grow closer together.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19–20

This was Christ’s final statement to His disciples. He wanted them to make disciples. He was calling them, as a group, to go into all the world and share the Gospel of Jesus. His call wasn’t to “go”. The actual translation is more like “as you go” make disciples. This was meant to be our everyday work. As we go about our lives, we are to continually seek out opportunities to tell people about the Gospel. He wanted them to help people recognize the sin in their life, and realize the need for a Savior. The kicker is, they were not expected to do this alone. Before he traveled to different towns, Jesus laid out in his ministry how they should go into the villages, cities, and other countries to share his message.

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.
Luke 10:1

Jesus sent them, not alone, but two by two ahead of Him to share His message. We see later in the New Testament where Paul traveled with three different men on different journeys: Barnabas, John Mark, and Silas. Peter was known to have traveled with his brother Andrew, John Mark, and possibly other unknown male and female disciples. We are more capable of doing Great Commission work when we work as a body of believers.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Ephesians 4:11–16

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
1 Corinthians 12:27–31

We all have something to offer. We are all called to carry out the Great Commission of Jesus. The great thing is that we do that better when we do it together. Christianity is a community of believers that have a common goal (Heaven) and a common mission to make disciples. You can get a lot of work done with your two hands, but four hands are better than two.