ME, MYSELF, AND I -- VS. -- YOU, ME, AND US?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
Ephesians 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint
supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body
unto the ediffying of itself in love.
Psalms 133: 1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in UNITY!
Proverbs 4:12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him;
and a THREE FOLD CORD is NOT QUICKLY BROKEN!
Amos 3: 3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
Ephesians 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith: that you being ROOTED
and GROUNDED in LOVE!
1. I start this lesson with an illustration MIXTURE VS. COMPOUND...
I have a hand full of pea sized gravel, and a glass of water. I drop the pea sized gravel into the glass of water,
and then I vigorously stir. The rocks remain separated from the water.
I have a packet of salt and I mix the salt into a glass of water. I then observe the different reaction of the
stirring. The salt loses itself in the water. (Note: if the water is warm the salt dissolves quicker.)
In one glass the two parts remain two parts. In the other glass the two parts so blend that I cannot see the salt.
I then have a bottle of vinegar and oil. They are separated, the oil is on top. After vigorous shaking the two seemingly come together. After a space of time, the two ingredients begin separating again. Their blending is at best only temporary.
I ask how this illustration might represent the family and the church? Which does the Holy Spirit desire?
If we could reduce all things we would find atoms. The atom is so small that we will never see an atom.
Learn how to split atoms and you will have an atomic or nuclear bomb.
When atoms combine you have molecules. A molecule is the smallest part of a substance that retains all the
properties of the substance. Molecules combine in complex ways and life is formed.
2. TERMS:
ESPRIT DE CORPS:
THE COMMON SPIRIT EXISTING IN MEMBERS OF A GROUP AND INSPIRING ENTHUSIASM, DEVOTION,
AND STRONG REGARD FOR THE HONOR OF THE GROUP.
TEAM:
TWO OR MORE DRAFT ANIMALS HARNESSED TO THE SAME VEHICLE OR IMPLEMENT.
A number of people associated together in work or activity.
To put together in a coordinated ensemble...
Marked by devotion to teamwork rather than individual achievement.
TEAMWORK, TEAM SPIRIT:
WORK DONE BY SEVERAL ASSOCIATES WITH EACH DOING A PART BUT ALL SUBORDINATING
PERSONAL PROMINENCE TO THE EFFICIENCY OF THE WHOLE.
COMPOSITE:
Combining essential characteristics of individuals making up a group. Something formed by blending.
3. THE LESSON OF "GEE" AND "HAW"
Amos 3: 3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
In 1974 it was my first year teaching school in Lee County, Virginia. To better know my students, I made home visits.
I had 44 students all day long. Wow, no wonder I thought about quitting?
I had a student named Angela Lawson. Linda and I went to the Lawson home, at the foot of Sticklyville Mountain, and visited with Angie’s family. Her Dad had a pair of Morgan horses. Morgans are huge horses, often used to pull logs out of the woods. I was amazed as Mr. Lawson teamed the horses together, and hitched them to a drag. Mr. Lawson backed the team of horses to the drag, (sled), he threw two bales of hay for Linda and I to sit. He then stood in front of us
on the drag and with verbal commands, the horses pulled us all around. I was amazed at how the team of horses worked with Mr. Lawson and with each other. Mr. Lawson would say: "GEE" and the horses would move forward to the right.
"HAW" was a verbal command and the horses would ever so gently turn to the left.
Mr. Lawson spoke very low and so kind, and the horses had worked with him so long that they had an understanding.
The horses trusted Mr. Lawson, and Mr. Lawson trusted the horses. Occasionally we will run across those pictures from that day, and remember the lesson I learned that day of team work!
4. THE THUMB ALLOWS MAN A PRIVILEGE MANY OTHER OF GOD’S CREATION DO NOT HAVE!
The thumb is normally the thickest digit on a human hand and is analogous in position to the big toe.
The thumb differs from man’s other digits, in that it only has two phalanges, thus it is permitted greater
freedom of movement, and is OPPOSABLE TO THE OTHER FINGERS.
Without the opposable digit man’s work would be limited. The thumb can work opposite or offer resistant, thus making the thumb to be held against the other digits. Because of this ability we can hold on to, we can grip,hold firmly, grasp. This unique quality helps us perform more task than other species.
Sometimes in the body we don’t all need to be thumbs, nor all fingers.
Unity can be because we are different, and thus we can make gains toward our Mark of the High Calling!
5. FOOTBALL TEAM?
My sons’ football coach emphasized TEAM SPIRIT.
T- Together
E- Each
A- Accomplishes
M- More
Often times during a kick off or a big play, the coach would yell ... STAY AT HOME! STAY AT HOME!
Some of the individuals had an assigned area of the field, no matter where the play was going they had a specific
area to cover. Some of the players were free to go after the player with the ball, others had a role or position to cover
for the team, not for the glory.
VINCE LOMBARDI HAD A FAMOUS LESSON FOR HIS PRO- ATHLETES... K.I.S.S.
Vincent Thomas Lombardi was one of the most famous football coaches that ever coached.
In 1959 Coach Lombardi started coaching the Green Bay Packers.
His coaching skills developed this team into one of the dominant professional teams of the 60’s.
The Packers won 5 championships. In 1969 Lombardi coached the Redskins to a second place finish.
One of the great lessons this coach practiced was K.I.S.S.
K- KEEP
I- IT
S- SIMPLE
S- STUPID
Lombardi knew a winning effort could not grow from the soil of individual stars showing off their talents.
Lombardi knew that as a unit, the team had to work together. This unity of plan and purpose would cause the individual
weaknesses to be covered by the group’s strengths!
6. KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, STRIKE!
I was in the Knoxville, TN., area back in the early 1970’s. I saw on the TV news, there was a H. S. football team that had
gone on strike against their coach. Many of the players thought the coach was mean and the exercise was far too hard and
demanding.
Some of the players got their parents to agree with how mean and abusive this coach was with his authority. The coach’s
requirements, they thought were excessive, and besides the summer was so hot.
The boys on the team undermined the authority of the coach and rebelled against his exercise program.
I followed that team throughout the year. They lost every game. They were not in shape, their strike against the coach
kept the team from pulling together.
Nothing shall contribute to a peaceful mind as much as purpose and a sense of direction. We need a consistent purpose.
7. MUSIC HAS A SENSE OF TEAM WORK AND TOGETHERNESS.
Music is the art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships, to produce
a composition having unity, harmony, and continuity.
The rhythm, melody and harmony must come together in agreement.
One of the greatest guitar players I ever knew, could not play with other musicians. He was a star, his playing ability
gains great applause, but with his star talents, he always practiced alone and he jumps timing, his showmanship notes
and runs cannot be matched by others.
Have you ever noticed in front of any good group of musicians there is a person with a little stick. That person can play a
musical instrument, but he does not play, he is leading the others,.ORCHESTRATING THE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS AS
ONE. This person must have the ability to start the group all at the same time, to arrange and combine the individuals to achieve
a desired or maximum effect.
This Orchestrator or Conductor employs four classes of instruments, --- stringed, convey melody; woodwinds --- add color;
brass --- add dynamic sound; and the percussion --- emphasizes rhythm. Parts are assigned to thespecific instrument.
The Conductor must have the ability to hear if one group is overbearing, and soften their volume with signals. This orchestrator
must get each individual to practice and know their part before coming together as one unit.
Then the master director pulls all the individual talents in a collective whole, and the COMPOSITE.
Lawrence Welk, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, all have have had the great ability to pull together groups of musicians to play
the BIG BAND Sounds.
Philharmonic ---- loving harmony, specializing in basic, simple, beautiful harmony.
Symphony ---- long, very complex and hard to achieve harmony.
8. LET US LOOK AT TREES AND ROOTS.
Ephesians 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith: that you being ROOTED
and GROUNDED in LOVE!
In the vast majority of plant life, roots play a very special role. The root has one main function... SUPPORT, ANCHORAGE.
As a whole roots operate underground and out of sight. Roots function to absorb, aerate, and food storage.
I am told that the DANDELION, the little yellow flower that kids love to give to those that they love, has become a great
nuisance to many. You can cut the dandelion off at the surface, and another will grow back! The dandelion root structure can
grow as deep as 10 feet. You cannot cut down dandelions by chopping their top off, you must go to the root, kill the root?
Kill the plant?
What is a mighty oak? That mighty oak is just a little nut that stood it’s ground. My friend, we must learn to stand the
precious ground around the cross!
9. NO ROOTS --- NO FRUITS!
Let’s pretend. You and I go in partners and buy an apple seedling. We agree, and plant the apple tree in your yard?
Well, I get to thinking about my investment in your yard, so I decide, we must transplant that apple tree to my yard?
You demand it back in your yard? So for several years we keep moving the apple tree back and forth? Can you
imagine how much fruit we will grow on our apple tree?
None... NO ROOTS --- NO FRUITS!
Can you imagine how a child from a divorced home must feel --- Two houses? Two parents? Mommy’s boy friend?
Daddy’s girl friend? Two step parents? Step brothers and step sisters? We are killing our children by cheapening their root
structures. When family members arrive at the conclusion, I don’t want you any more? I don’t need you?
I will be honest with you ... It is not a marriage problem --- IT IS A DATING PROBLEM! All through the dating process
there are unheeded warning signals. Never date who would not make a great mate! Then cloud the dating process with
sexual relationships out of God’s boundaries, and there becomes a soul tie to the other person, and the string cannot
be broken!
Most healthy plants have roots as deep as the plant is tall. The root structure will go out to the sides to the
equivalent of the height. While this is true in most plants, this is not true in all plants!
10. TWINE TOGETHER:
Proverbs 4:12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him;
and a THREE FOLD CORD is NOT QUICKLY BROKEN!
Unity is plural and at minimum, is TWO.
Define TWINE:
a strong string of two or more strands twisted together. Interlaced part or object
I have read about the huge coniferous trees in the Cypress family.
The huge redwoods, GIANT SEQUOIAS that live in GROVES in California, can grow over 300 feet tall.
I have read that these giant trees do not have great deep roots, and you ponder how on earth can they stand the
storms of many years?
Well, you never see a 300 feet high sequoia stand alone, seems they grow only in a grove with other sequoias.
As the trees grow together, they gain their anchorage and support, by growing roots that intertwine. Their roots unite
together by inter twinning one with the other.
Without this mutual involvement the trees would die and fall.
No cord nor cable can so forcibly draw, or hold so fast, as LOVE can do with a twined thread.
11. PAIRS OF HERO’S? MUST BE A LESSON?
We cannot develop territorial lines and be so possessive that we become jealous and possessive!
We will attain much more by committing to a team. We need each other!
Can you image BATMAN without ROBIN? Imagine Shaggy without Scooby Doo? Fred and Wilma?
Lois Lane would be any other news reporter without Superman? The team of the Lone Ranger and Tonto?
Bonnie and Clyde? Laurel and Hardy? Smothers Brothers -Dick smart one ---Tom, the dumb one?
Sears and Roebuck?
Walter Peyton and the Chicago Bears? Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan?
Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. or Kareem Abdul-jabbar and the Lakers?
Dallas Cowboys and Emmett Smith? Jerry Rice and Raiders? Joe Montana and 49’ers?
Good people that accomplish the most in life learn how to work together as complements!
Can we help others complete their assignment?
Eyes and ears complement each other! Their work is so different, yet they work best together!
We can help others fulfill their dreams. You could give small tokens for soon forgotten acts of kindness: a hug, kiss,
a smile, a pat on the back, a phone call, a card, a note.
If I can’t play, may I be the best water boy in history?
Who is going to get credit for this? Let’s hope Jesus does! We in the church live in an individual interdependance
on others. We must learn there is no such creature as a single individual within the church, that would be like a
hang nail on a sore finger. The hangnail may be dead skin, but it is attached to the living, and we must be careful
how we detach that hangnail?
There are no seperate races, clans, tribes, churches. or families, or individuals. We need you! The church
needs you! Any good family should teach TEAMWORK!
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of a continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed
away by the sea, the nation is less Any one quitting diminishes me; for we are part of the whole.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com Help me? Pass a copy of this on to another?
