Captured by the Cause!

Captured by the Cause

I would like to thank you for coming and I believe that you are going to be blessed, informed, and inspired to do more and more for the Kingdom of God.

So for the next several minutes, I am going to talk to you about some important and helpful processes.

You see, I believe to be effective is the key, many want to operate in the ministry on things that they like and favor instead of on the things that are most effective.

ACT 2:1 AND WHEN THE DAY OF PENTECOST WAS FULLY COME, THEY WERE ALL WITH ONE ACCORD IN ONE PLACE.

Let’s pray

INTRODUCTION

MATT 20:20 THEN THE MOTHER OF JAMES AND JOHN, THE SONS OF ZEBEDEE, CAME TO JESUS WITH HER SONS. SHE KNELT RESPECTFULLY TO ASK A FAVOR.

MATT 20:21 "WHAT IS YOUR REQUEST?" HE ASKED. SHE REPLIED, "IN YOUR KINGDOM, PLEASE LET MY TWO SONS SIT IN PLACES OF HONOR NEXT TO YOU, ONE ON YOUR RIGHT AND THE OTHER ON YOUR LEFT."

MATT 20:22 BUT JESUS ANSWERED BY SAYING TO THEM, "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE ASKING! ARE YOU ABLE TO DRINK FROM THE BITTER CUP OF SUFFERING I AM ABOUT TO DRINK?" "OH YES," THEY REPLIED, "WE ARE ABLE!"

MATT 20:23 JESUS TOLD THEM, "YOU WILL INDEED DRINK FROM MY BITTER CUP. BUT I HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY WHO WILL SIT ON MY RIGHT OR MY LEFT. MY FATHER HAS PREPARED THOSE PLACES FOR THE ONES HE HAS CHOSEN."

MATT 20:24 WHEN THE TEN OTHER DISCIPLES HEARD WHAT JAMES AND JOHN HAD ASKED, THEY WERE INDIGNANT.

MATT 20:25 BUT JESUS CALLED THEM TOGETHER AND SAID, "YOU KNOW THAT THE RULERS IN THIS WORLD LORD IT OVER THEIR PEOPLE, AND OFFICIALS FLAUNT THEIR AUTHORITY OVER THOSE UNDER THEM.

MATT 20:26 BUT AMONG YOU IT WILL BE DIFFERENT. WHOEVER WANTS TO BE A LEADER AMONG YOU MUST BE YOUR SERVANT,

MATT 20:27 AND WHOEVER WANTS TO BE FIRST AMONG YOU MUST BECOME YOUR SLAVE.

MATT 20:28 FOR EVEN THE SON OF MAN CAME NOT TO BE SERVED BUT TO SERVE OTHERS AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR MANY."

We cannot forget how often, while their Master was with them there were strife among the disciples which should be the greatest; but now all these strife were at an end.

But in my text this morning we find things had changed.

They had prayed more together. My question is “Would we have the Spirit poured out upon us from on high, if we would find ourselves being in one accord?”

Setting aside our differences of sentiments and interests, as there were among those disciples, let us agree to love one another;

PSA 133:1 HOW WONDERFUL AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN BROTHERS LIVE TOGETHER IN HARMONY!

PSA 133:2 FOR HARMONY IS AS PRECIOUS AS THE ANOINTING OIL THAT WAS POURED OVER AARON'S HEAD, THAT RAN DOWN HIS BEARD AND ONTO THE BORDER OF HIS ROBE.

PSA 133:3 HARMONY IS AS REFRESHING AS THE DEW FROM MOUNT HERMON THAT FALLS ON THE MOUNTAINS OF ZION. AND THERE THE LORD HAS PRONOUNCED HIS BLESSING, EVEN LIFE EVERLASTING.

You see, it is there in that place of unity that the Lord commands His blessing.

We are going to dealing with a little word with big consequences. TEAM-WORK

I want to talk to you about the church that we find in the early part of Acts.

It’s just been ignited on Pentecost through the Holy Spirit, and when I say ignited, that’s what I mean...... this church is on Fire for Jesus.

3000 people came into the Kingdom in their first gathering.

This is what I see, when people, when a Church, when a Team is Captured by the Cause. Being captured by the cause, where it becomes about the big picture, which is fulfilling the call of the great commission.

When a Team can see the Big Picture, through the power of the Holy Spirit, there is no stopping that team from fulfilling their goals.

I’m going to ask you some questions tonight, Like..... Have you been Captured by the Cause that Jesus has given us? Do you understand the Cause?

We will come back to those questions as we dig into the scripture.

First, let me share with you a story that will illustrate what can happen when a people is Captured by a Cause.

Winston Churchill was one of the great leaders in our day. He understood the Law of the Big Picture. It is said that during World War II when Britain was experiencing its darkest days, the country had a difficult time keeping men working in the coal mines.

Many wanted to give up their dirty, thankless jobs in the dangerous mines to join the military service, which got much public praise and TEAM support.

Yet their work in the mines was critical to the success of the war. Without coal the military and the people at home would be in trouble.

So the prime minister faced thousands of coal miners one day and told them of their importance to the war effort, how their role could make or break the goal of maintaining England’s Freedom.

Churchill painted a picture of what it would be like when the war ended, of the grand parade that would honor the people who fought the war. First would come the sailors of the navy.

Next would come the best and brightest of Britain, the pilots of the Royal Air Force who fended off the German Air Forces. Following them would be the soldiers who had fought.

Then last of all would come the coal-dust-covered men in miners’ caps.

And Churchill indicated that someone from the crowd might say, “And where were you during the critical days of the struggle?”

And the voices of 10 thousand men would respond, “We were deep in the earth with our faces to the coal.”

It’s said that tears appeared in the eyes of those hardened men. And they returned to their inglorious work with steely resolve, having been reminded of the role they were playing in their country’s noble goal of preserving freedom for the Western World.

Those men, on that day knew what it was to be Captured by the Cause of Freedom.

My friends, We have a cause that is for Freedom today! The Cause of Jesus Christ is to carry out His Great Command, and His Great Commission to set the Captives Free from sin, and give them New Hope for this life, and New Hope for the eternal life.

Have you been Captured by the Cause?

You see, on the day of Pentecost, they had been captured by the cause together.

Great TEAMWORK makes things happen more than anything else in organizations – more than skill, qualifications or money! Whether it’s your Family, Church, Ministry, Business, Personal life.

A well known football manager once commented in an interview "It’s easy to get good players. It’s getting them to play together that’s the hard part!"

Dictionary definition = teamwork-The COMBINED effective ACTION of a group or team to achieve a common goal (vision).

Other Definitions…

" Teamwork means that we share a common ideal, Embrace a common goal. Regardless of our differences, we strive shoulder to shoulder, Confident in one another’s faith, trust, and commitment.

In the end, teamwork can be summed up in five short words....

We believe in each other." We are better together!!

" Teamwork is the FUEL that allows Common People To Produce Uncommon Results!"

True teamwork is a two way street: Reaching out to help others and being open and receptive to help when it’s offered!

"Teamwork is the long word for Success"

There some great examples about TEAMWORK in the Bible.

In the Beginning God said to Adam ‘it is not good that man should be alone’, Noah & his family, Nehemiah built wall in 52 days with a team, Moses had a team of leaders around him, Jesus and 12 Disciples (one could argue constructed greatest team ever), Paul and Silas, Barnabas and Mark, Gideon’s 300 etc…

When everyone’s singing from the same song sheet and putting their faith into practice, the sky’s the limit of what can be accomplished!

Just think how much MORE we as believers can accomplish working in PARTNERSHIP with God on our side!

3 PRACTICAL STEPS FOR EFFECTIVE TEAMWORK

1.) The team members must Care For One Another.

Show the video clip of man stuck on escalator

Uncaring people on a team remind me of two guys in a sinking boat, sitting together at one end doing nothing.

As the people at the other end are bailing fast as they can, one says, ’Thank God that hole isn’t in our end of the boat.’

Without Sacrifice there can be no Success! Sometimes we are called to sacrifice: time, effort, comfort, own desires for the sake of the team.

We should adapt the Musketeer motto ‘All for One & One for All!’

2) The team members must Communicate.

Show the movie clip from Moneyball of Jeremy hitting a home and he didn’t know

In Hurricane Katrina, hundreds died while those who could have rescued them stood by. Why? Communication broke down.

If we fail to communicate to each other, many will hit a home run and never know it.

But if we communicate we can do anything!!

Gen 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

Gen 11:7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

Gen 11:8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

What they were doing was rebellion against God, but look at the result of their communication.

3) ’Your rights’ must take second place.

The team’s success must always be of greater value than your own individual interests.

For example: ’I’ll do it myself, that way I know it’ll get done right’ attitude, robs others of the opportunity to participate, learn and grow, and leaves the job undone or poorly done.

You see, no fellowship could ever function properly without the dedication and commitment of those willing to contribute to building the house.

EPH 4:16 HE MAKES THE WHOLE BODY FIT TOGETHER PERFECTLY. AS EACH PART DOES ITS OWN SPECIAL WORK, IT HELPS THE OTHER PARTS GROW, SO THAT THE WHOLE BODY IS HEALTHY AND GROWING AND FULL OF LOVE.

In Ephesians 4:16 (NLT) we read ‘the whole body (symbolical of church, metaphor) is fitted TOGETHER perfectly.

As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts to grow, so that the WHOLE BODY (team) is healthy and growing and full of love.’

From this we learn that united as a team,as we are contributing our part – we can help the church to GROW HEALTHY & STRONG, FULL of love.