A Team Sport Series

Pt. 2 - A Team Sport

I. Introduction

Last week we talked about the Hall of Fames that over 200,000 people visit annually to catch a glimpse of a glove or a helmet. Have you ever watched one of the induction ceremonies? Individuals stand on a stage receiving the honor of a lifetime and they spend the entire time thanking their parents, friends, coaches and teammates for making it possible for them to be in the Hall of Fame. They recognize that their ability to perform at the level necessary to get into the Hall of Fame was only possible because of the host of others who helped them. No one else was at the plate when they swung the bat. No one else took the shots that went into the basket. No one else made the cut or the tackles that changed the course of the game and yet they realize that Hall of Fame careers are only possible because others taught, blocked, threw the ball or kept them healthy. At the end of the day even individual accomplishments took place in the frame work of team work. As we continue our discussion on holiness may I submit that holiness certainly comes with individual responsibilities, implications and elements.

Am I personally responsible for my standing with God? Am I personally going to answer for my actions, thoughts and deeds? Do I have the responsibility to do right even if everyone else around me chooses to sin? All are answered with a loud and empathetic YES! However, I think we miss a key component of holiness that we need to address. I think we have neglected or completely ignored the team nature of Holiness and in doing so we have often made it a holi-mess.

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Luke 9:23 (NIV)

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

If you will allow me, I just want to make a couple of statements regarding 1 Peter 2:9 and then point out something from Luke 9 and share a few simple thoughts.

I want you to notice that in 1 Peter 2 the writer speaks to our station as believers. He uses the words chosen, royal and holy to describe us! That is our condition. This is how God sees us. Why? Because He has set us apart from darkness and brought us into the light. In other words, we have been placed in the Hall of Fame of Faith! However, I want you to go back and notice what these adjectives describe. Chosen - people. Royal - priesthood. Holy - nation. Notice . . . people, priesthood, nation. People is plural. Priesthood is plural. Nation is plural. People means there are more than one. Priesthood is not one individual. A nation is not comprised of one person but rather an entire group of people. If Peter describes a group of people as chosen, royal and holy, then why do we keep trying to be holy by ourselves?

I recognize that Jesus says that we must take up our cross daily and follow Him. This passage is one that forces us to personally answer the call to holiness. In many ways this exhortation from Jesus is the cornerstone verse for holiness, the call to be separate, the call to walk away from sin, and the call to live differently. I must make the choice to walk in the ways of Jesus! He makes that demand of me. However, if you go back and read John's account along with the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, then you discover that the writers tells us that when Jesus carried His cross He had assistance. If Jesus had help carrying His cross, then why do we continue to act like we are strong enough to carry our cross by ourselves?

Without assistance holiness is hard if not impossible!

Holiness is a team sport. I am beginning to understand that we make holiness a holi-mess because we have made it so hard because we try to pull it off as a solo or individual event. I have declared that there is a collective ethic that must rub off. However, the collective ethic must be accompanied by a collective effort. We help each other carry the cross and the result is the task is easier and doable.

We have been commanded to carry one another’s burdens. We always think of burdens as sickness, financial stress, or relationships. However, would anyone else admit that holiness can be a burden too? This is especially true when you try to carry it alone. In fact, what I have discovered is that the burden of Holiness, when carried alone, will often times break us. I believe the reason it breaks us is that we were never intended to carry it alone.