I am spending the first two days of this week with a group of Louisiana pastors who meet yearly to learn from one another. These guys are great pastors leading great churches. Their faithfulness, hard work, and passion for Christ encourage me about the future of the church.

Learning from one another is one of the great teachings of the Christian faith. Think of all the times the Bible tells us about “one another.” We are to love, encourage, and help one another. We bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.

The Proverbs tell us the value of companionship and comradeship. “Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22). It is the way of wisdom to find wise and godly counselors and to learn from them.

Jesus followed this plan. He did not appoint an apostle. Instead He appointed twelve apostles (Mark 3:13-19). Mark’s gospel gives three reasons why Jesus appointed the twelve. One of the reasons was to “be with him.” Jesus knew we all learn what we see and what we experience. Jesus obviously wanted His obedience and closeness with the Father to touch them. They would learn from Him about prayer, obedience. faith, and a host of other lessons.

When God set apart missionaries to take the gospel to the Mediterranean world, He did not send only one man. The missionary journeys consisted of groups of people who would encourage one another. On the first journey, Paul and Barnabas led the way. They also took John Mark with them. You can read about John Mark and his remarkable story here.

On the second missionary journey Paul, Silas, and Timothy served together. Later, the beloved physician Luke joined them in their service. By sending groups of people, God provided protection for the travelers. By sending two or more missionaries, the preachers could give confident witness that their testimony was true. Finally, their partnership in the gospel encouraged one another in the difficult times of persecution and imprisonment.

God uses people to help one another in faithfulness and ministry. Isn’t this one of the purposes of the church? God calls us to work alongside one another to help and encourage one another.

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