Paul was often separated from those he loved. Circumstances, geography, providential guidance all serve to keep believers from being with other believers at times. Yet it is beautiful to see how the apostle repeatedly referred to other ministers and workers as fellow laborers (See Romans 16:3, 9, 21; 2 Corinthians 8:23; Philippians 2:25; Colossians 4:11; 1 Thessalonians 3:2; Philemon 1, 24, etc.) Sometimes the fellow laborers were near and sometimes they were far off, but always they were serving the Lord together.

There are several observations that are applicable to all of us. The most obvious is that most blessed preacher of his day (or perhaps any era in church history) recognized that he needed other ministers! We need one another and we all need the Lord. When a preacher becomes an island to himself he is in danger.

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).

We are not all in the same place, we have not all received the same gifts, we are not all called to the same type of ministry – but we all work for the same Lord.

It has been a joy to be together with hundreds of fellow preachers over the last few days, but now we return to our respective fields and to our varied assignments. We are not all together but we are one in Christ. Serving in itinerant ministry it is a wonderful encouragement to me that we are serving the Lord even while we are apart…

• My wife and I are serving the Lord together while we are apart. Tammy has been with me on the road for several days and that makes everything better! Now she has to be home while I go to another place to minister. Her ministry at home makes my ministry possible on the road. We are united in Christ even when we are separated by the miles.
• Our ministry team and I are serving the Lord together while we are apart. Technology is an amazing tool and today we have the privilege of working with so many from a distance. Stephen who assists me with resources and media, Kimberly who does our scheduling, Greg and Cody who help with our broadcast, Micah who works on so many projects, and many more are laboring as a team though separated by states and even continents.
• Prayer partners and I are serving the Lord together while we are apart. It is a glorious truth that we can gather from anywhere at the throne of God. This is one place we can all go together! Remember that your prayers can go where you cannot. I thank the Lord for every prayer partner whose prayers go up to heaven and then come back down in answer to wherever we are.
• Fellow ministers in the gospel and I are serving the Lord together while we are apart. I can only be in one place at a time and with one pastor at a time. Yet I feel a kinship, a divine bond with those around the world who are laboring for the cause of Christ. We are not enemies and we are not competitors – we are all on our Master’s work crew!

Yes, we are serving the Lord together while we are apart. It is Christ who binds us together and we will all gather together with Him very soon.