Imagine a hiker is lost, injured, and alone on a vast, treacherous mountain. A storm is rolling in. Does the command center send out just one lone rescuer to cover thousands of acres by himself? No. That would be a suicide mission. Instead, they send a team. They have a communications expert, a medic, a navigator, and ground teams that move in formation, sweeping the area together. They are stronger, safer, and infinitely more effective because they work as a unit. They know the mission is too big and too important for one person to handle alone.
Now, let me ask you this: All around us, people are lost, injured, and alone in the wilderness of sin. A storm is coming. Does God expect you to be a lone rescuer?
“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. And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” Luke 10:1-2 (ESV)
Devotional
Listen to me, church. For too long, we’ve believed a lie about evangelism. The enemy has convinced us that it’s a terrifying, solo mission—that it’s all on you to have the right words, to answer every question, and to face rejection all by yourself. And that fear has paralyzed us.
But look at how Jesus operates! He sees a plentiful harvest, a massive rescue mission, and what does He do? He sends out His disciples two by two. He didn’t send them out alone. He sent them out with a partner. This is God’s model. It’s not just about efficiency; it’s about courage, support, and shared strength.
This is the ultimate fruit of a healthy community. A spiritual family that is truly unified, that prays together and serves together, doesn’t just stay inside its own four walls. It naturally overflows. It looks outside and sees the harvest, and it moves together. Reaching the lost isn’t just the pastor’s job or the evangelist’s job. It is the mission of the entire family.
This is spiritual warfare. We are search and rescue teams moving into enemy territory. And there is incredible power when we go together. When one person is afraid, the other can be bold. When one doesn’t have the answer, the other might. It’s about having someone to pray with before you start a conversation, and someone to debrief with afterward.
Let’s be honest. The reason many of us don’t share our faith is fear. But the biblical model of going “two by two” is God’s direct answer to that fear. He’s not asking you to be a lone hero. He’s asking you to grab a teammate and get in the game.
Additional Scripture for Meditation
- Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (ESV): “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”
- Mark 6:7 (ESV): “And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.”
- Romans 10:14 (ESV): “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
Reflection
- Gut Check: What is your single biggest fear when it comes to sharing your faith with someone? How does the idea of doing it with a partner change that equation?
- Think Deeper: Think about the people in your life who don’t know Jesus. Have you been carrying the burden of reaching them all by yourself?
- Connect the Dots: Why do you think a church’s internal health is directly connected to its external effectiveness in reaching the lost?
Practical Application
- Form a Prayer Team: This week, find at least one other person in the church and commit to praying together for the lost. Each of you name one or two people you want to reach, and pray for them by name, together, every day this week.
- Plan a “Two by Two” Outreach: Don’t overthink it. With a partner from church, plan one simple, tangible act of outreach. It could be as simple as inviting a neighbor couple over for dinner together, or serving at a local charity together while looking for opportunities to talk about your faith.
- The Double-Team Invite: The next time you invite a friend or family member to church, don’t do it alone. Ask another church member to join you in the invitation, saying something like, “My friend [church member’s name] and I would love for you to come with us this Sunday.”
Prayer
Father, forgive us for our fear. Forgive us for believing the lie that we are on our own in this mission. We see the plentiful harvest, and we confess that we have been hesitant laborers. Lord, give us the courage of the seventy-two. Show us the partner You want us to link arms with. Help us to move out of the comfort of our church walls and into the harvest field, not as lone rescuers, but as a unified team, sent out by You and empowered by Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.