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.
We defined holiness as set apart meaning we are set apart from evil and sin. We did not say we are supposed to be alone. Holiness means separation from sin. It does not mean separation from those who are called to help you stay away from sin. I think a lot of times we fall to sin that we would not fall to normally because we separate from our safety net.
So, practically speaking how do we assist one another in holiness? We root for and encourage each other in the journey.
I am reminded of Hebrews 12:1-3.
Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s
there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!
I recognize that when it says we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, or in this version, all these pioneers it is referring to the members of the Hall of Fame of Faith listed in Hebrews 11 who are dead and gone. But what if if we would make it current? What if we viewed it as we are surrounded by all these people, those around us now, who are cheering us on? What if when we were about to stumble, fail, fall, quit, or throw in the towel we would look two rows over to see someone rooting for us, yelling for us, encouraging us to continue? I promise you that we would turn the channel, put the drink down, put the needle down, stay in the house, or make a better decision financially.
Maybe we would have more holy people if more holy people would help people be holy.
Carry people to Jesus rather than keep them away.
Without accountability holiness is hard if not impossible!
It is when we learn to run towards each other in our mess, rather than hiding it, that we discover out of the corporate holiness comes healing. That is why James says we should confess our faults one to another so that we may be made whole. Too often what happens is those that witness the mess run away and either point fingers, gossip or cut off. Or the one creating the mess distances, turns a deaf ear, and resists help. The end result in either case is destruction.
I believe that one of the reasons we struggle to stay holy is that we continue to walk by ourselves rather than committing to holiness in the community of believers who will call us into accountability and carry us when we come up short.
David knew he needed help. He needed someone who could discern. So do we
Psalms 19:12 - But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
James 5:19-20
My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God.
Galatians 6:1
Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself.
If we approach holiness as a team sport, then we watch for one another. Hold one another accountable. Restore one another. For accountability to work there must be cooperation on both ends. This means not only does someone have to watch closely enough to see something they must then be willing to say something. The other person has to be willing to listen and consider that the person who reached out in concern may be right!
We must corporately and individually make a commitment to step out of our cocoon and comfort zone and speak up. We must also all be willing to lay down pride and consider what is said. We must realize that they are only speaking up out of concern and it isn't an attack it is actually an act of love!
You can tell people don't see holiness as a team sport when they won't say anything or when someone won't listen!
We are responsible for each other's holiness! We can only live up to 1 Peter 2 together. Together we are a chosen people. Together we are a royal priesthood. Together we are a holy nation.
Would you tell those next to you . . . I will say something. The other person will you say . . . and I will listen! Tell the person I am willing to participate in your holiness!
