Partnering with Christ in Ministry
Kevin Noble

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate [koinonos = be partners] in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires"
(2 Peter 1:3-10).

Luke chapter 5 describes the calling of the first disciples. Jesus met Simon Peter at the sea and told him to go back out and let down his nets for a catch. Simon had been fishing all day and protested: "Master, we have worked hard all night and haven't caught anything" (Luke 5:5). Nevertheless, Simon let down the nets again at Jesus' direction and an amazing thing happened:

"When they had done so [let down their nets], they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink"
(Luke 5:6, 7).

Much of the Christian experience in ministry is similar to that of Simon Peter. We work very hard all night, but catch nothing. It seems that no matter how hard we work, no matter how much effort we invest, no matter how much time we spend in ministry — few people come to Christ and few people become disciples. Jesus gave us a wonderful word picture in the encounter with His disciples recorded in Luke 5. If we work in the darkness of human effort to catch people for the kingdom, we will catch nothing. But when we work in the light as directed by Jesus Christ, and let down our nets for a catch in obedience to Him — people will be converted and the kingdom of God will grow beyond our wildest human expectations. Our responsibility is to be in the presence of Jesus, to hear and obey His voice, and to let down the nets when and where He leads us. He brings the catch and the kingdom of God is advanced. When the kingdom of God grows according to God's plans, the catch will be so large, we will need our partners to come and help us bring it in.

It is also significant that the disciples caught nothing until Jesus was in the boat with them. Then, two things happened. There was an overwhelming catch due to their partnership with the Son of God, and they were joined by their partners in the other boat — to work in unity to carry out Jesus' instructions.

Peter stated in his second letter that God has given us "everything we need for life and godliness" through Jesus Christ. Through the promises He has given we are partners in the "divine nature," partners with Jesus Christ, Himself. Can you grasp the full breadth and completeness of this amazing gift? We have, at this very moment, the complete totality of everything we need to live life in Christ and to serve God with all that we are. We need no other partner in life and ministry than Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God! If we labor alone, we will labor in vain. If we labor with other partners, but do not partner with Christ, we labor in vain. But when we labor in partnership with Jesus Christ, He will accomplish everything He wants to accomplish with our lives, to His greater honor and glory!

Peter adds in 1 Peter 1:10, "Therefore my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. If you do these things you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

I would encourage you to stop working so hard in the dark. Let your soul rest. Invite Jesus Christ into your boat and become His partner. Then and only then, should you let down your net.