Compiled by: Herman Abrahams (Senior Pastor), Cornerstone Faith Ministries, P.O. Box 740, Westridge 7802, Rep. of South Africa.
E-Mail: Mentorship2003@yahoo.co.uk
Note to the reader:
If you have been blessed with this sermon compilation, I would be honoured to receive an e-mail from you simply telling me where in the world you are based- I do not need any other information. I am requesting this info so that I can have the pleasure of giving thanks to Almighty God, that all over the globe, the ministry which he has entrusted to me, is blessing the body of Christ and helping to extend the Kingdom of God.
Thank you.
Herman Abrahams,
Cape Town, South Africa.
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BE A TEAM PLAYER
Psalms 133:1-133:3 / 1 COR 12:12-26
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
Many seed-thoughts for this sermon was obtained from a sermon by Michael McCartney off the sermoncentral.com website. I have possibly repeated a few of Michael McCartney’s statements).
INTRODUCTION
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A Major Key to Revival - Teamwork
A key to the effective functioning of the Body of Christ and to unlocking the door of revival is teamwork. For this to happen, the team players in the church must approach their responsibilty with the emphasis on “WHAT CAN I DO FOR THE TEAM?” RATHER THAN “WHAT CAN THE TEAM DO FOR ME?”
ILLUSTRATION
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1. Pres J.F. Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.” In the same way, “Ask not what the church team can do for you, but what you can do for the church team.”
2. SOCCER: A player will always speak about what he can do for the team.
A. THE KEY TO TEAMWORK IS RELATIONSHIPS.
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When they exist between each of the members we are on our way to becoming undefeated. A key to Revival is teamwork.
When the church is functioning as a team of players with different abilities, gifts & talents then we have an unstoppable force.
If a church does not have teamwork, it will die.
The Pastor or Pastor and Leaders cannot do all the work – even Jesus enlisted the help of a team.
1. IT STARTS WITH UNITY (BEING HARMONIOUSLY JOINED TOGETHER)
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Psalm 133:1-3
1 How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
Ezra 3:1 “… The people assembled as one man in Jerusalem”
Difference between unity and teamwork:
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UNITY - means to live together in harmony - which is very essential – “my heart is clean, I don’t carry any grudges towards any brother or sister.”
TEAMWORK - means to work together as a team.
Many can live together but the ones who win the race are team players who work together.
2. WE ARE ONE BODY – WE ALL NEED EACH OTHER
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1 COR 12:12-26
12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
ILLUSTRATION
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Enablement for Uncommon Things
Peter F. Drucker: No organization can depend on genius; the supply is always scarce and unreliable. It is the test of an organization to make ordinary human beings perform better than they seem capable of, to bring out whatever strength there is in its members, and to use each man’s strength to help all the others perform. The purpose of an organization is to enable common men to do uncommon things.
Management (HarperCollins), Reader’s Digest, p. 209
B. JESUS HIMSELF DEMONSTRATED THE IMPORTANCE OF TEAMS IN DOING MINISTRY.
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When He started his ministry the first thing he did was to start forming his team, the 12 disciples
Matt. 4:18-22:
The Calling of the First Disciples
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
JESUS HAD A TEAM; HE IS THE HEAD-COACH
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Jesus who knew God intimately, was directed to use the team to change the world.
Today this is still the will and plan of God for the Kingdom of God.
The Lord is the coach and he is putting us through training camp so that we can learn to become an unbeatable team.
But many of us still don’t want to be a team player.
NO LONE RANGERS OR SUPERMEN
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If you want to accomplish anything for the Lord you need to comprehend that you must be a part of the team (the church).
Jesus sent his disciples out two by two.
C. THE TWELVE APOSTLES REALISED THE NEED FOR TEAMWORK
1. Acts 6:1-7 - The Choosing of the Seven (Teamwork in Servanthood)
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1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
*** TEAMWORK POINT ***
Teamwork in practical duties / servanthood / stewardship
RESULT OF THE INCREASE IN THE TEAM – MORE EFFECTIVENESS, THERE WAS REVIVAL !!
ILLUSTRATION
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Honey Bees
Bees can show you something about teamwork. 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. (Bits & Pieces, September 17, 1992, pp. 19-20)
2. Acts 11:19-30 - The Church in Antioch (Teamwork in Ministry)
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19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22 News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
*** TEAMWORK POINTS ***
1. vs 25 - Teamwork in use of ministry gifts.
2. vs 29 – Teamwork in the use of resources – financial and otherwise.
3. vs 23 - A team member will encourage other believers and not break down
RESULT OF TEAMWORK AND DIVERSITY OF GIFTS AND TALENTS – REVIVAL, REVIVAL & REVIVAL – vs 21, 24 26 – ‘a great number of people turned / were brought to the Lord.’
***STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY ***
VS 20 "speak to Greeks also" - Adventurous & bold
Vs 22 "Barnabus...encouraged them all" - An encourager
Vs 24 "full of the Holy Spirit and faith" - Inspires faith in others
Vs 25 "Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,… brought him to Antioch" - Barnabus - Mentor / Encourager
vs 27 "Prophets - Edifiers (cf 1 Cor 14:3)
3. Teamwork in Prayer! (Acts 12:1-5; 12-17)
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1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him ….
12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”
15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the brothers about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.
*** TEAMWORK POINTS ***
A Team member will be his brother’s keeper (‘protector’, ‘watchman’). (However, we are not to abuse one another – don’t be an opportunist!!).
"Am I my brother’s keeper? Surely he is old enough to take care of himself, nor did I ever take any charge of him.’’ Some think he reflects on God and his providence, as if he had said, "Art not thou his keeper? If he be missing, on thee be the blame, and not on me, who never undertook to keep him.’’ Note, A charitable concern for our brethren, as their keepers, is a great duty, which is strictly required of us, but is generally neglected by us. Those who are unconcerned in the affairs of their brethren, and take no care, when they have opportunity, to prevent their hurt in their bodies, goods, or good name, especially in their souls, do, in effect, speak Cain’s language. See Lev. 19:17; Phil. 2:4. (Matthew Henry)
ILLUSTRATION
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Geese
It’s those stately geese I find especially impressive. Winging their way to a warmer climate, they often cover thousands of miles before reaching their destination. Have you ever studied why they fly as they do? It is fascinating to read what has been discovered about their flight pattern as well as their in-flight habits. Four come to mind.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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. (Chuck Swindoll, letter, October, 1991)
4. Acts 18 1-4: Teamwork in Hospitality & Sharing of Resources
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1After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
*** TEAMWORK POINTS ***
Hospitality, Sharing Resources
5. Jesus used all types of people with different backgrounds to reach the world Matthew 10:1-5 (Teamwork in Ministry, Counselling & Preparedness to Learn from Others)
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1. Every person in the body of Christ has a vast amount of knowledge, insight and experience which they bring to the team.
2. Amongst the first (twelve) disciples there was much diversity- fishermen, a tax collecter, a zealot, etc – different experiences, knowledge and insight..
3. Proverbs 11:14 " … in the multitude of counselors there is safety."
NIV “ … Many advisors make victory sure.”
CONCLUSION
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Be a team player.
Don’t be a lone ranger.
If you have not yet made Jesus Lord of your life, start today by joining the team – those who have been washed in the blood of Jesus thru his death on Calvary.
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