Let’s talk about sports, even though I don’t watch sports, I know it is a favorite pastime of Christians and nonchristians alike. You name the sport, and you name the team. Whoever the team is, we find this team practicing together; everyone assigned to the team has a specific purpose. But his or her purpose is to play their part in concert with the others who have their part. The coach sees this, and aligns his players, and teaches them to work together, and it will be the team who will function better than other teams. We spend a lot of time rooting for our team, that special team, the way they put the plays together, the way they execute each play, and the success that they have is based mostly on how well they have done their part. If one fails, the play will not be executed like it is supposed to be. We encourage our teams by going to the games, and yelling for them, putting our energy in their work. And don’t you know that many Christians will be at those games encouraging those players to be better, play stronger, and keep in the game, but will not think to encourage the person who sits next to them in church. You see, the church is a team effort. Listen to Scripture: “Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts; If prophecy, use it according to the standard of one’s faith; if service, in service; if teaching, in teaching; if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:4-8 Why wouldn’t we be there, cheering each other on, holding each other up? Why is it we will work harder for our sports teams to be better at what they do, than we do our fellow believers? Instead of holding each other up, when the team is not playing well, we leave to find another team. When we are unhappy that “our” body is not functioning, we look to the others instead of ourselves, and wonder why they are not doing their part. Perhaps it’s because they can only do their part if you do yours. So what part do you hold in the local fellowship? What gift has God given you that you have not been using. it just might be the lack that you are seeing in others. Don’t you think it’s about time we start listening to the coach. He knows better than us what our gifts are, because He has given them. He knows how to get the most out of each player, if we just listen. He will make the church the shining light in the community, if we all do our parts. In doing so, our faith will grow stronger, our strength more stable. Our ability to hold each other up will be the winning ingredient for a successful life in Christ, and we will all draw closer to the coach, to listen without question, to move when He tells us to move, and to do our part, as He has given us the gifts and ability to do so: “And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25 Pastor Andy
Barnabas Man 