Teamwork

(ESV) - 1 THEREFORE, MY BROTHERS, WHOM I LOVE AND LONG FOR, MY JOY AND CROWN, STAND FIRM THUS IN THE LORD, MY BELOVED.

2 I ENTREAT EUODIA AND I ENTREAT SYNTYCHE TO AGREE IN THE LORD.

3 YES, I ASK YOU ALSO, TRUE COMPANION, HELP THESE WOMEN, WHO HAVE LABORED SIDE BY SIDE WITH ME IN THE GOSPEL TOGETHER WITH CLEMENT AND THE REST OF MY FELLOW WORKERS, WHOSE NAMES ARE IN THE BOOK OF LIFE.

ETS – PAUL POINTS OUT THAT A DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO WOMEN IN THE CHURCH AT PHILIPPI WAS HAVING AN OBVIOUS EFFECT ON THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH.

ESS – WHEN BELIEVERS ARE UNWILLING TO FUNCTION AS A TEAM, THE ENTIRE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH IS AFFECTED.

OSS – TO CONVINCE BELIEVERS TO FUCTION AS PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST, IN THE SENSE THAT THE BODY IS NEVER TO BE IN CONFLICT OR DISAGREEMENT WITH ITSELF.

PQ – ARE YOU FUNCTIONING AS A TEAM MEMBER, OR ARE YOU A ROGUE CHURCH MEMBER?

UW – TEAMWORK

INTRODUCTION:

IN HIS BOOK CAN THESE BONES LIVE? BILL HENARD LISTS TEAMWORK AS THE FINAL PARAMETER OF CHURCH HEALTH…

AND EVEN THOUGH YOU WILL NOT FIND THE WORD TEAMWORK IN THE BIBLE, THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES OF THE IMPORTANCE OF TEAMWORK FOUND THERE…

WE CAN LOOK AT THE EXAMPLE OF MOSES, WHO SERVED ON A TEAM WITH HIS BROTHER AARON, AND LATER, ON THE ADVICE OF HIS FATHER-IN-LAW, JETHRO, ASSIGNED LEADERSHIP ROLES TO PEOPLE HE KNEW TO BE TEAM PLAYERS TO OVERSEE GROUPS (TEAMS) OF THOUSANDS, HUNDREDS, FIFTIES, AND TENS…

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, WE READ OF THE WISDOM OF JESUS IN PUTTING TOGETHER A TEAM OF TWELVE MEN, WHO LITERALLY CHANGED THE WORLD WITH THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL…

OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS, CHAPTER 4…

I WANT US TO TAKE AS OUR TEXT THIS MORNING VERSES 1 THROUGH 3…

SO STAND WITH ME AS WE READ THIS PASSAGE TOGETHER…

STAND – READ – PRAY

ARE THERE PLACES IN THE BIBLE THAT SPEAK TO THIS PRINCIPLE OF TEAMWORK? THERE CERTAINLY ARE…

(ESV) - 10 I APPEAL TO YOU, BROTHERS, BY THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THAT ALL OF YOU AGREE, AND THAT THERE BE NO DIVISIONS AMONG YOU, BUT THAT YOU BE UNITED IN THE SAME MIND AND THE SAME JUDGMENT.

(ESV) - 11 FINALLY, BROTHERS, REJOICE. AIM FOR RESTORATION, COMFORT ONE ANOTHER, AGREE WITH ONE ANOTHER, LIVE IN PEACE; AND THE GOD OF LOVE AND PEACE WILL BE WITH YOU.

(ESV) - 18 TRULY, I SAY TO YOU, WHATEVER YOU BIND ON EARTH SHALL BE BOUND IN HEAVEN, AND WHATEVER YOU LOOSE ON EARTH SHALL BE LOOSED IN HEAVEN. 19 AGAIN I SAY TO YOU, IF TWO OF YOU AGREE ON EARTH ABOUT ANYTHING THEY ASK, IT WILL BE DONE FOR THEM BY MY FATHER IN HEAVEN. 20 FOR WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED IN MY NAME, THERE AM I AMONG THEM.”

AS A MATTER OF FACT, BEFORE PAUL WROTE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF TEAMWORK IN THIS PASSAGE, HE HAD ALREADY ESTABLISHED THIS IMPORTANT CONCEPT…

(ESV) - 27 ONLY LET YOUR MANNER OF LIFE BE WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, SO THAT WHETHER I COME AND SEE YOU OR AM ABSENT, I MAY HEAR OF YOU THAT YOU ARE STANDING FIRM IN ONE SPIRIT, WITH ONE MIND STRIVING SIDE BY SIDE FOR THE FAITH OF THE GOSPEL…

STANDING FIRM IN THE SPIRIT…

WITH ONE MIND…

STRIVING SIDE BY SIDE…

FOR THE FAITH OF GOSPEL…

AND THEN HERE IN CHAPTER 4, HE ADDRESSES THE SUBJECT AGAIN, THIS TIME IN REFERENCE TO AN OBVIOUS LACK OF TEAMWORK…

SO LET ME POINT OUT A FEW TRUTHS TO YOU FROM THIS PASSAGE…

1. WHAT MAKES US A TEAM?

a. IT’S INTERESTING TO SEE HOW PAUL MOVES FROM A TONE OF ARGUMENT, AS IN AN ATTEMPT TO CONVINCE THEM OF TRUTH…

b. TO A TONE OF EXHORTATION, AS IN AN ATTEMPT TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO TAKE UP A PARTICULAR ATTITUDE…

c. AND THE ATTITUDE IS ONE OF TEAMWORK AND UNITY…

d. (ESV) - 1 THEREFORE, MY BROTHERS, WHOM I LOVE AND LONG FOR, MY JOY AND CROWN, STAND FIRM THUS IN THE LORD, MY BELOVED.

e. WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES US A TEAM?

i. LOOK AT THE WORDS PAUL USES HERE TO SPEAK TO HIS FELLOW BELIEVERS, YO BEGIN TO GET A PICTURE OF WHAT MAKE US A TEAM…

f. BROTHERS…

i. BECAUSE OF CHRIST, WE ARE PART OF A FAMILY OF BELIEVERS…

ii. AND FAMILY WORKS TOGETHER…

g. WHOM I LOVE…

i. THE LOVE OF CHRIST IS NOT JUST A COMMON EXPERIENCE FOR US, IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A COMMON CONVICTION WE ALL HOLD…

h. FELLOWSHIP…

i. PAUL SAID HE LONGED FOR THE PHILIPPIANS…

ii. IN OTHER WORDS, HE ENJOYED SPENDING TIME WITH THEM…

i. HE REFERRED TO THEM AS “MY JOY”…

i. PAUL REJOICED OVER NOT ONLY THEIR SALVATION, BUT ALSO OVER THEIR CONTINUED MATURITY AND GROWTH IN CHRIST…

j. FINALLY, HE SPOKE OF A FUTURE TOGETHER WITH THESE BELIEVERS…

i. HE REFERRED TO THEM AS “MY CROWN,” WHICH IS WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS AN ESCHATALOGICAL STATEMENT…

ii. AND THIS MIGHT BE ONE OF THE MOST PIVOTAL WORDS IN PAUL’S ENTIRE DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE BELIEVERS…

iii. BECAUSE IT SPEAKS TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS A CULMINATION AWAITING NOT JUST ALL BELIEVERS, BUT ALL PEOPLE…

iv. AND OUR JOB IS TO BE TEAM PLAYERS, BECAUSE THE STAKES ARE VERY HIGH…

k. AN UNWILLINGNESS TO BE PART OF THE TEAM CAN DO GREAT HARM TO THE WORK OF THE CHURCH…

l. AND IN VERSE 2, PAUL REFERS TO THIS WHEN HE REMINDS US THAT…

2. ROGUE CHURCH MEMBERS CAN DAMAGE MINISTRY EFFECTIVENESS.

a. – I ENTREAT EUODIA AND I ENTREAT SYNTYCHE TO AGREE IN THE LORD.

b. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A ROGUE CHURCH MEMBER?

c. GOING ROGUE OFTEN INCLUDES EXCHANGING IDEAS FOR THE IDEAL…

i. FOR EXAMPLE, HERE IN THE TEXT, THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS CONFLICT BETWEEN TWO WOMEN IN THE CHURCH AT PHILIPPI.

ii. WHAT VERY POSSIBLY COULD HAVE HAPPENED IS THAT THEY HAD A DIFFERENCE OF IDEAS THAT LED TO THEM LOSING SIGHT OF THE IDEAL…

iii. AN IDEAL IS SOMETHING CONSIDERED AS A STANDARD TO STRIVE TOWARD OR SOMETHING CONSIDERED WORTHY OF IMITATION.

iv. SO IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CHURCH, CHRISTLIKENESS, AND HIS MISSION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED THE IDEAL…

v. BUT OFTEN, OUR OWN COMPETING IDEAS BECOME SO IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE LOSE SIGHT OF THE IDEAL…

vi. AND WHEN THIS HAPPENS, SOMETIMES CHURCH MEMBERS GO ROGUE…

vii. THEY BEGIN TO OPERATE OUTSIDE THE STRUCTURE THAT NOT ONLY INCLUDES TEAMWORK, BUT THAT ALSO HELPS THE CHURCH PURSUE THE IDEAL OF CHRISTLIKENESS.

viii. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CHURCH CAN BE COMPROMISED…

d. SOME OF THE TYPES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO THIS TYPE OF ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR IN THE CHURCH ARE…

i. PASTORS AND DEACONS…

ii. ALTHOUGH ANYONE IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO THIS TYPE OF ROGUE ATTITUDE…

e. SO THEN, IN ORDER TO AVOID BEING A ROGUE CHURCH MEMBER…

3. HOW DO I BECOME A TEAM PLAYER?

a. – YES, I ASK YOU ALSO, TRUE COMPANION, HELP THESE WOMEN, WHO HAVE LABORED SIDE BY SIDE WITH ME IN THE GOSPEL TOGETHER WITH CLEMENT AND THE REST OF MY FELLOW WORKERS, WHOSE NAMES ARE IN THE BOOK OF LIFE.

b. AS YOU HAVE LABORED SIDE BY SIDE WITH ME (TEAMWORK)…

c. HELP OTHERS BE TEAM PLAYERS…

d. BECAUSE A TEAM PLAYER MENTALITY IS A MUST FOR THE CHURCH TO BECOME AND REMAIN HEALTHY…

e. WE MUST BE VERY CAREFUL TO WORK HARD AT MAINTAINING A PRACTICE OF TEAMWORK, IN ORDER TO HELP THE CHURCH REMAIN EFFECTIVE IN ITS MINISTRY…

f. BUT HOW DO WE DO THIS?

g. WELL LET ME GIVE YOU A FEW THINGS THAT CAN HELP IN YOU BE A TEAM PLAYER…

i. RECOGNIZE THE VALUE IN OTHER PEOPLE…

1. WE OFTEN DISMISS THE IDEAS OF OTHER PEOPLE SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT OURS…

2. BUT WHEN WE RECOGNIZE THE VALUE IN THE IDEAS OF OTHERS, WE ARE ACTUALLY RECOGNIZING THE VALUE IN THOSE PEOPLE…

3. IF THERE IS ONE THING I HAVE LEARNED DURING MY TIME IN MINISTRY, IT’S THAT I DON’T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS…

4. I AM NOT AS WELL CONNECTED AS I ONCE WAS…

5. I DON’T UNDERSTAND TODAY’S CULTURE, EVEN THOUGH I THINK I DO…

6. AND SO I NEED THE INPUT OF PEOPLE FROM A BROAD RANGE OF EXPERIENCE IN ORDER TO EFFECTIVELY LEAD THE CHURCH...

7. AND WHETHER YOU WANT TO ADMIT IT OR NOT, YOU DON’T ALWAYS HAVE THE BEST IDEAS…

8. SOMETIMES YOUR IDEAS ARE NOT THE BEST WAY TO THE IDEAL…

9. SO IN ORDER TO BE TEAM PLAYERS, WE MUST RECOGNIZE THE VALUE IN OTHER PEOPLE…

ii. SHOW UP…

1. THERE IS NOTHING MORE FRUSTRATING TO THE MEMBERS OF A TEAM THAN A TEAM MEMBER WHO AGREES TO SERVE AND THEN FAILS TO SHOW UP…

2. TEAM MEMBERSHIP ASSUMES COMMITMENT…

3. ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES ANY CHURCH MAKES (OR ANY ORGANIZATION, FOR THAT MATTER) IS TO GIVE A PERSON A JOB, HOPING THEY WILL BECOME MORE COMMITTED AS A RESULT.

4. THE BETTER WAY TO SELECT TEAM MEMBERS IS TO LOOK FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY PLUGGED IN, AND ASK THEM TO BE PART OF THE TEAM…

5. IF A PERSON IS UNCOMMITTED BEFORE THEY ARE NAMED TO A TEAM (COMMITTEE), IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THEY WILL BECOME COMMITTED TO THE WORK OF THE TEAM…

iii. DO YOUR PART IN THE WORK OF THE TEAM…

1. SHOWING UP ASSUMES THAT YOU WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE WORK FOR WHICH THE TEAM HAS BEEN FORMED…

2. WHETHER YOU SERVE ON A COMMITTEE IN THE CHURCH OR NOT, IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER, YOU ARE PART OF A TEAM, PART OF A FAMILY…

3. AND BELONGING BRINGS WITH IT RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS THAT GOD HAS MANDATED…

4. AND THE QUESTION FOR YOU THIS MORNING IS WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE BEING A GOOD TEAM MEMBER…

CONCLUSION:

BECAUSE THE FACT IS THAT WE ARE ALL IN DANGER OF ALLOWING OURSELVES TO BECOME POOR TEAM MEMBERS…

AND SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED TO BE REMINDED THAT WE HAVE BEEN CALLED TO BE PART OF THE GREATEST TEAM THAT HAS EVER EXISTED…

TEAM JESUS…

AND SOMETIMES, WE NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT TO CONVICT US OF OUR WEAKNESS, AND BE ENCOURAGED TO ASK HIM TO WORK IN OUR HEARTS TO MAKE US TEAM PLAYERS AGAIN…

I WANT YOU TO WATCH THIS CLIP FROM THE MOVIE “FACING THE GIANTS.”

IT’S A CLIP THAT SPEAKS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF NEVER GIVING UP, AND ALSO TO THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING A POSITIVE VOICE ON A TEAM…

WATCH THIS VIDEO…

FACING THE GIANTS VIDEO CLIP

HAVE WE QUIT ON GOD?

ETS – PAUL POINTS OUT THAT A DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO WOMEN IN THE CHURCH AT PHILIPPI WAS HAVING AN OBVIOUS EFFECT ON THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH.

ESS – WHEN BELIEVERS ARE UNWILLING TO FUNCTION AS A TEAM, THE ENTIRE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH IS AFFECTED.

OSS – TO CONVINCE BELIEVERS TO FUCTION AS PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST, IN THE SENSE THAT THE BODY IS NEVER TO BE IN CONFLICT OR DISAGREEMENT WITH ITSELF.

PQ – ARE YOU FUNCTIONING AS A TEAM MEMBER, OR ARE YOU A ROGUE CHURCH MEMBER?

UW – TEAMWORK