TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
MEDIA CLIP (optional suggestions): Chicken Run, Toy Story 2, Gladiator fight scene OR get 2 people to carry a large box/table for a visual demonstration
Introduction (the hook to get attention):
How many people would like to see this church packed every Sunday? People Saved & Equipped to achieve greatness on a regular basis? To see this Church have incredible influence both locally & globally for the glory of God? How many of you dream of living in a peaceful yet purpose community that works together in harmony? How many people would like to enjoy the benefits of a successful & happy family? Enjoy job satisfaction in a work place that is productive frequently getting results?
Well you could see all this & MORE!! If you tap into (take advantage, delve into) what I’ve got to share with you this morning.
Theme: Teamwork
Title: Teamwork Makes The Dream Work!
Turn to you neighbour & say it!
BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT ILLUSTRATION
A farmer noticed a highway department truck pulling over on to the shoulder of the road. A man got out and dug a hole, then got back into the truck. Then the other occupant got out, filled up the hole and got back in the truck. Every fifty yards this amazing process was repeated. ’What are you doing?’ the farmer asked. The driver replied, ’We’re on a highway beautification project, and the guy who plants the trees is home sick today.’
What’s the bottom line (morale)? No Unity, no Productivity!
God blesses those who work together in unity.
Great TEAMWORK makes things happen more than anything else in organisations – 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 =
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."
" Teamwork is the FUEL that allows Common People To Produce Uncommon Results!"
"True teamwork is a two way street: Reaching out to help colleagues And also being open and receptive to help when it’s offered"
"Teamwork is the long word for Success"
Throughout the Bible we read stories about people working together as teams to achieve a mission.
(optional INTERACTION point / AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION – TEAMWORK IN BIBLE QUESTION)
Q.) Name some great examples of where we read 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 & 12 Disciples (one could argue constructed greatest team ever), Paul & Silas, Barnabas & Mark, Gideon’s 300 etc…
1 of the stories that sticks out to me is – the Tower of Babel is a picture of what can be achieved by a team that is UNITED – speech, actions, thoughts, goals, the vision
TOWER OF BABEL - GENESIS 11v1-6 (NLT)
"At one time the whole world spoke a single language and used the same words. As the people migrated eastward, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. They began to talk about construction projects. "Come," they said, "let’s make great piles of burnt brick and collect natural asphalt to use as mortar. Let’s build a great city with a tower that reaches to the skies--a monument to our greatness! This will bring us together and keep us from scattering all over the world."
But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. "Look!" he said. "If they can accomplish this when they have just begun to take advantage of their common language and political unity (NKJV when the people are one), just think of what they will do later. Nothing will be impossible for them! "
Here we observe that the Babylonians took full advantage of the impact of TEAMWORK & collaboration (working together aggressively, passionately to achieve a common goal)
Here we discover that even when a team has a wrong motive, united in speech & action ‘nothing will be impossible!’ When everyone’s singing from the same song sheet & putting their faith into practice 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!!
God told Isaiah (65v8), ’"The new wine is found in the cluster (symbolical of team)...Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it..." ’ You can’t get wine from just one grape, you need a cluster (bunch, group).
AIR CONDITIONED BEE HIVE
I love nature programs – does anybody else? You can learn a lot about teamwork from studying nature. Recently I discovered some FACINATING FACTS about Honey Bees:
On a warm day about half the bees in a hive stay inside beating their wings while the other half go out to gather pollen and nectar. Because of the beating wings, the temperature inside the hive is about 10 degrees cooler than outside. The bees rotate duties and the bees that cool the hive one day are honey gatherers the next.
Isn’t it interesting to see the POSSITIVE EFFECTS of Teamwork in Nature!?
3 PRACTICAL STEPS FOR EFFECTIVE TEAMWORK
1.) The team members must Care For One Another.
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 furiously, 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.
In Hurricane Katrina, hundreds died while those who could have rescued them stood by. Why? Communication broke down (show Railway joke slide)
3) ’Your rights’ must take second place.
The team’s success must always be of greater value than your own individual interests. Your ’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.
GEESE FORMATION ILLUSTRATION ON TEAMWORK
Have you ever wondered why geese fly in a very organised V Formation? Winging their way to a warmer climate, they often cover thousands of miles before reaching their destination. We can discover a lot about teamwork by studying geese – their flight patterns & in-flight habits.
SOME KEYS THINGS WE LEARN FROM GEESE
A. Those in front rotate their leadership. When one lead goose gets tired, it changes places with one in the wing of the V-formation and another flies point.
B. By flying as they do, the members of the flock create an upward air current for one another. Each flap of the wings literally creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. One author states that by flying in a V-formation, the whole flock gets 71 percent greater flying range than if each goose flew on its own.
C. When one goose gets sick or wounded, two fall out of formation with it and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with the struggler until it’s able to fly again.
D. The geese in the rear of the formation are the ones who do the honking. I suppose it’s their way of announcing that they’re following and that all is well. For sure, the repeated honks encourage those in front to stay at it. As I think about all this, one lesson stands out above all others: it is the natural instinct of geese to work together. Whether it’s Rotating, Flapping, Helping, or simply Honking, the flock is in it together...which enables them to accomplish what they set out to do.
ACRONYMS (you may want to encourage AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION here?)
T.E.A.M = Together Everyone Achieves More!
T.E.A.M.W.O.R.K = Together Enjoying A Ministry Worshiping Our Righteous King - note: ’Enjoy’ not just Endure
There’s no ‘I’ in Team
Other Examples of Teamwork
Football team is clearly an interdependent team: no significant task can be accomplished without the help of essentially all team members, team members typically specialize in different tasks (defending the goal, tackling opposing players, in midfield - holding up the ball, dribbling, passing, crossing, setting up shooting opportunities, attacking – scoring goals & then don’t forget the MANAGEMENT & COACHING side of things). The success of every individual is inextricably bound to the success of the whole team. No player, no matter how talented, has ever won a season by playing alone. INDIVIDUALS WIN TROPHIES, TEAMS WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS!!
Family eg of Team (cooking, cleaning, providing money, maintaining house, paper work, looking after & supporting your partner & children – physically, spiritually & financially)
Church eg of Team – no fellowship could ever function properly without the dedication and commitment of those willing to contribute to building the house.
In Ephesians 4v16 (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 we, each contributing our bit – we can help the church to GROW HEALTHY & STRONG, FULL of love.
What use is a severed limb or organ absent from the body? God has called us to work as a team. (you may want to quote the relevant scripure here)
‘How good, how pleasant is it for brethren (children of God) to dwell together in unity’ Psalm 133v1
The Lord teaches us the importance of pulling together when he made the statement.
"Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand." Matt 12:25.
Work Place – I’m sure you’re all aware of how vital it is to have a good team spirit in your place of employment. It only take 1 rebellious spirit, 1 bad attitude to destroy the atmosphere & wreck the peace (cause arguments)! If the team is not working together properly it can cause all sorts of problems. E.g. have you ever experienced being under paid? How did that make you feel as a result?
A breakdown in teamwork can cause bad vibes to flow out, ruin team morale & damage productivity
PERSONAL ILLUSTRATION – When I was working as a gas engineer I worked on many building sites where I saw various tradesmen involved in the bigger picture of BUILDING THE HOUSE.
??? AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION - ask Q about what workers would you need to build a house from scratch???
Each job was equally important & necessary for a good job to be complete! ARCHETECTS, DEMOLITION, CHIPPIES (CARPENTERS), BRICK LAYERS, PLASTERERS, PLUMBER, GAS ENGINEERS, (SPARKIES) ELECTRICIANS, INTERIOR DESIGNERS, PAINTER & DECORATORS, LANSCAPERS / GARDENERS etc…
One of the ways to create Effective Teamwork is by getting stuck in when you see a need and are able – don’t wait to be asked. Many people make this mistake of assuming that Somebody else will do it - like in story of the Good Samaritan. E.g. if you see rubbish on floor, someone coughing, new person standing alone, pack down team struggling then ACT!
That’s Not My Job
This is a story about four people: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it.
Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did.
Somebody got angry (about that) because it was Everybody’s job.
Everybody knew that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realised that Somebody wouldn’t do it.
And (/It ended up that) Everybody blamed Somebody because (/when) Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
HORSE POWER!
In a horse-pulling contest at a county I fair the first-place horse moved a sled weighing 4,500 pounds. The runner-up pulled 4,000 pounds. The owners of the two horses wondered how much the animals could pull if they worked together. So they hitched them up and loaded the sled. To everyone’s surprise, the horses were able to pull 12,000 pounds that’s 3,500 pounds more than if they had gone solo!!
Here we observe SYNERGY taking place – where combining forces produces better RESULTS than individual effort. Teamwork Greater Outcome than going solo. In other words 1 + 1 = 3!
Another Example of Synergy - If person A alone is too short to reach an apple on a tree and person B is too short as well. Once person B sits on the shoulders of person A, they are more than tall enough to reach the apple.
There’s a famous quote that says "A dwarf standing on the shoulders of a giant may see farther than the giant himself." As a TEAM we can exceed our limitations!
“Dependent people need others to get what they want. Independent people can get what they want through their own efforts. Interdependent people COMBINE their OWN efforts with the efforts of OTHERS to ACHIGEVE their Greatest SUCCESS.” Stephen Covey
Conclusion
- Great TEAMWORK makes things happen more than anything else in our church, family, community, work & personal life.
- T.E.A.M = Together Everyone Achieves More!
- Teamwork is Biblical & part of God’s will for us as believers, when we apply it God blesses us
- 3 PRACTICAL STEPS TO EMBRACE EFFECTIVE TEAMWORK - We as believers have a responsibility to ‘Care For Each Other’, Communicate Effectively & Honour the teams success above our own interests.
- We can achieve a lot more working together united as a team than divided as individuals
Challenge
Q.) What steps will you take to unite in Teamwork with the people God has placed in & around your life?
Q.) How will you strive to further support those who are part of your FAMILY, CHURCH, COMMUNITY, PLACE OF WORK?
If you want to see revival in your church, if you want to have a successful & happy family, if you dream of seeing your community transformed, if you dream of being more productive than ever before in your place of work I want to encourage you to become a team player with the ‘can do’ mentality.
Working as a TEAM we can ACHIEVE far GREATER THINGS than as individuals – we can ultimately achieve our dreams.
If your not involved in teamwork, I want to encourage you to become a part.
& if you are, I want to encourage you to keep on keeping on & grow to become an even greater member of the team!
Decide today to be a CONTRIBUTOR in life rather than just a CONSUMER & begin to experience TEAMWORK THAT MAKES THE DREAM WORK!
Note: this sermon was designed with a Powerpoint Presentation (visual aid) to help enhance learning - I’ve found that this is especially effective for those who are visual learners by nature.
Furthermore, at times I will encourage the congregation to participate vocally by repeating certain key phrases or answering questions relating to the topic. I do this to help keep the audience alert & make them feel involved PLUS it’s proven that doing this can enhance what people retain. However, I do understand that this is not always appropriate & can be very difficult with certain congregations.
