Sister Teri Sunday Evening 9/25/11
Bro Richard’s message in Carmichael on teamwork:
He’d played football in high school and he brought ideas that he’d gleaned from that experience.
The body of Christ is a team. We are all team members and for a team to function properly we must each be a good team player. We can’t be off on our own and doing our own little thing or we cannot function as a body. The purpose of the team will suffer if we are not working together.
Jos 5:13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
Jos 5:14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
Jos 5:15 And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
It is important that we know who is on our team. Joshua wanted to know if this man was on his team. There are ways that we can know who is on our team.
The captain of the Hosts is Jesus. He is our captain in heaven and on earth. The captain of the foot ball team is really not the captain; they take their orders from the coach. In the church the pastors are under captains and take their orders from the coach. We need to be able to take our orders from the coach that is above.
The coach lays out the commands and the directions to the under captains. The team that Joshua led was a large team that must work together in order to be successful.
Jos 6:2 And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
The Lord gave instruction to Joshua and he carried it back to the team and they all did exactly what they were told to do and God brought the walls down. If they had not worked together and each did what they were told to do then they would not have been successful.
We must have confidence in our coach, Christ, in order for us to be successful.
Some join a team for the social camaraderie and for their friends that are there. This can happen in the church, people want to be there for the social.
Some may be there because they want to be in the team picture, and have the uniform and the social distinction that comes with it.
There are those that are on the team because they have a highly focused desire to win, not just individually, but that the team wins. The goal should be that we all make it. It is not one individual shining above the other.
Sports teams can have a star player or players that have their names mentioned in the paper. Their team may win for a time. It is better if the team is not successful because of one individual shining above another. It is better if they work together and then they can be successful for many years.
What makes a team successful is if the team works together. The high scorers cannot win the game for the team forever. The team functioning as it should is when each one in the team helps the others do their very best.
The questions were asked: Are we on the right team? Who on that team are real team players: working for you and with you? Who are the team players that are working for the united effort and goal?
Are you a team player: On the team working for the team? A good team player is ready to be wherever there might be a need working to pick up the slack, not just working in their position.
Highly functional teams win. Some do well for a time but only if the team works together well will there be success over time.
Family teams function well because of a reason. Dysfunctional families are created by not working together, not communicating well, and not being ready to sacrifice their desires and wishes for the sake and the good of the whole.
Functional means used to contribute for the good of the whole and the higher purpose. Are we willing to sacrifice some of our plans and desires for the good of the whole? Dysfunctional means not operating well or properly. It takes a high degree of functionality in order to win against the enemy. It takes working together in order to win this battle.
The church’s function is to win souls, establish souls, and help them win the goal. Very few people are born a top linebacker. They must learn some things in order to function in this position. They need the rest of the team to help them, to instruct them and to be there when maybe they fumble.
Part of a volley ball team is when the ball is hit wrong or is missed there is someone else there to get it. Part of our job as the Body of Christ is to be there for each other.
Every position is critical for the proper functioning of the team.
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
That we henceforth be no more dysfunctional, no more children tossed to and fro. The pastor gets the messages from the coach and delivers them to us. We take the detailed plays: Joshua received the plays from God and the people executed it and it worked.
The opposition works to break things up, to cause confusion in the backfield, to take them down and to cause them to quit. It is the same principal working in the church. It takes all of us working together in order for us to be successful.
In a real game there would be some that sit on the sidelines. In this team every one of us can be on the field. There is a place for every one of us and a job for each one of us to do.
There will be some freshmen that come in with a preconceived idea of where they want to play and they will sit on the bench until they are willing to play where the coach chooses to place them. We need to be broken enough to allow the coach to change and place us where the coach desires us to be.
The person may have a specific place to play but when the ball heads another way, they need to run down to be a help. That is how an interception happens. They hustle down to be ready to grab the ball if it is fumbled. They are willing to work outside of their area; it takes work. One or two players cannot carry the whole load without wearing out. It takes a depth of workers. It takes everyone pulling and carrying the load.
Souls start out good. The secondary defense is part of the body. One or two people may be there and help one get saved. The secondary defense is going to be there and hit hard. When I first got saved, there were things that would keep me out of church. If there had not been those that came in and reached out to me then I would have been gone.
The longer a person is down from a fall the more likely they are to be taken out of the game. The whole opposing team will pile on a playe; this is the way the enemy works too. We need to be there to defend and help each other.
Huddling is when they are getting their message from the coach. “This is what I want you to execute, I saw this going on and this is how you can break through that.” With the family a time of getting into the word of God together, a time of prayer is necessary.
Go to the coach and get the direction that you need to make it.
In the times of huddle in the team you cannot have people distracted and careless about it. Questions are ok. If you don’t understand then you must ask questions. It is important that we allow people to ask questions when they don’t understand. Don’t take it wrong. We must all be on the same page.
It is hard when one person is saved and another isn’t in a family. It is hard to get unity of purpose to come up with a plan of action and a game plan and to get it executed. Pray for those that are in this condition. If we are not all on the same page we cannot accomplish the purpose that God would have for us.
1Pe 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
1Pe 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
We must respect each other. A lack thereof will interfere with functionality. He gave an example of a good quarterback that had some successes and took them as his own then began to mock others, on the team, that were less successful. The coach let the quarter back reap what he sowed so that he could see it from the other perspective. If we don’t take the Word and get the lesson from the Word, then God will give us some of the same so we will get the lesson from that.
Don’t let things come between us. Have longsuffering and compassion for each other so that our labors, and our prayers are not hindered. We must have cohesion so that we are not hindered.
There can be those that have a negative attitude and it will hinder the play. Sometimes if something fails one time it doesn’t mean that it was a bad idea, you reexamine it and try again. Don’t give up especially if the instructions are from God.
We need to work for each other with respect and care for one another. Success can lead to cockyness and will cause dysfunctionality if it is not taken care of. We must remain humble. Those that are cocky cannot be worked with and corrected.
Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Gal 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
When someone else messes up in an area, get in and help him. We could fail in the same way. Don’t get lifted up.
How do we treat people concerning their faults and weaknesses? How are we talking to them or about them, how do we treat them when no one else is around? If we don’t treat others kindly and respectfully then we will reap some of the same.
Respect contributes to functionality; disrespect contributes to dysfunction, lost opportunity, and lost impact.
How to know those that are on the right team is they play by the rules. When flags are going up right and left than there is someone that is not playing as a team player. No backbiting, encourage and teach that salvation is precious. In a foot ball team they hold the ball close and protect it. We need to hold our salvation as precious.
When they run they run low and it makes it harder for them to go down. We must stay humble. What team are you on? You must stay humble. Good team players will make it all the way.
If you want the whole message then you can get a copy of the CD.
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