TOGETHERNESS? JOIN THE TEAM By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I do this as a two part series.
I once was young, and now I am old, and I find great peace and consolation in a simple thought, "WITH."
I love it when my wife is "with me." We can be in the same car and not be with each other.
I love it when my friends are "WITH ME."
I love meetings when you can feel the togetherness and unity. The power of agreement is a love
of my life. I am talking about more than being together, I am talking about being "WITH EACH
OTHER," being on the same page, the same wave length, Call it being on the same page?
Unity? Knit together.
Psalms 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell TOGETHER IN UNITY!
My heart breaks when friends are no longer friends, and they are not with each other.
Seems people can agree about 999 things, then one little disagreement scraps a friend
on the heaps with the outcast. EVERYBODY IS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES?
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together unless they agree?
I. GOD’S WORK IS ACCOMPLISHED BY TEAMWORK!
* to yoke or join together
* two or more draft animals harnessed to the same vehicle
* a number of persons associated together in work or activity
* marked by devotion to whole group more than individual achievement
A. Ecc. 4:12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him, and a threefold cord is not
quickly broken.
B. GOD PROMISED TO BE WITH US. JESUS, GOD’S SON BUILT A BRIDGE TO BE WITH US.
Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name:EMMANUEL which being interpreted is:
GOD WITH US.
II. ON THE SAME HILL, ONE WAS WITH JESUS, ONE WAS NOT WITH HIM.
Luke 23:32 And there were also two other, malefactors, lead with Him to be put to death.
33: And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified Jesus, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and
the other on the left.
A. ONE REFUSED TO JOIN THE TEAM: The one on the left hand
Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on Jesus, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
He sought for the individual way out. He desires to see deliverance for me, I don’t care about others?
Three crosses, two were team players, one seemed to battle the games with I, selfishness.
One little man knew his guilt, but he asked Jesus, remember me?
Jesus remembered him.
One died in sin.
One died to sin.
One died for sin.
B. ONE JOINED THE TEAM ... REMEMBER ME... The one on the right was with Jesus.
Luke 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, "Dost not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation?"
41: And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but Jesus hath done nothing amiss.
III. JESUS SENDS AN INVITATION TO JOIN THE TEAM.
42: And he said unto Jesus, LORD, REMEMBER ME when thou comest into thy kingdom.
A. Come be with me:
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto you, TODAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.
There is no I in team.
B. TEAM
T-ogether
E-ach
A-ccomplishes
M-ore
C. There is no I in team.
I need you, you need me, we need the church, and Jesus needs us in a spirit of Unity and Agreement.
IV. SYNERGISM...
A. SYNERGISM: cooperative action of separate agencies such that the TOTAL EFFECT IS
GREATER THAN THE SUM OF THE EFFECTS TAKEN INDEPENDENTLY.
B. If you go to a horse pull, one individual horse can pull an 8,000 pound load.
Another horse can pull a 9,000 pound load. How much can they pull together?
8,000 + 9,000 = 17,000
C. Well, this is not true, a good team together, the two horses can pull 28,000 pounds.
That is 11,000 pounds more than they can individually pull.
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together unless they agree?
JOY IN ALL, AND FIND JOY, AND PRESS ON. DON’T LOOK BACK.
D. God knows that His Church is not a story of individual accomplishments.
Are we pulling together for the long haul? Will you quit? Will I quit? We need each other.
If we love Jesus we should really love each other.
E. PEOPLE WILL HURT YOU! PEOPLE WILL DISAPPOINT YOU... BUT YOU HAVE TO BE PART OF THE TEAM.
Team players help each other, and weaknesses can become strengths.
F. Are you on the team? How can you seek forgiveness and you not forgive?
We are on a team.
How can you love a God you have never seen, and not love your brother or sister?
James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations.
1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trials which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13: But rejoice...
V. GREAT MEN KNOW HOW TO LIFT THE TEAM TO NEW LEVELS, EVEN DURING PERSONAL LOWS.
A. In 2003 Brett Favre, of the Green Bay Packers, dad passed away.
Brett was very close to his father. The Packers had a big game to play.
Brett Favre made the decision to go ahead and play the game in the middle of his terrible grief. The Green Bay Packers promised to make a memory to Brett’s dad.
Brett Favre set many records in that game.
In October, 2004 Brett’s brother-in-law was riding an ATV on the Favre Farm and turned it over. His brother-in-law was killed instantly. Favre went ahead and played the Tennessee Titans. Brett Favre’s greatness was in playing FOR THE TEAM.
B. SUFFERING IS INEVITABLE, BUT MISERY IS OPTIONAL! A team can bring hope!
Suffering is a part of life. Will you keep playing on the team?
Can God trust you for the benefit of the team?
If you don’t learn to value the team, you will not keep keeping pressing over the obstacles.
C. JESUS HAS A YOKE TO BE WITH US!
Yoke - frame which joins two workers to work together. Carry load in equal portions.
Matt. 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30: For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
VI. PETER JOINED THE TEAM.
There was a serious need, the taxes were due.
We need tax money, Peter had to obey Jesus’ words. He had to take action.
Peter had to go fishing, I don’t know how this will help, but I will join the team.
Matt. 17:27 Go fish, first fish’s mouth there was enough money to pay the tax bill.
VII. MARY ASKED THE PEOPLE AT THE WEDDING TO JOIN THE TEAM.
The wedding was a disaster, the couple was going to be so embarrassed, the party is over. Mary tells the people standing around, Whatsoever Jesus says, do it.
Jesus says, GET WATER! Well, water will not help. This wedding fails on water?
Go to the well and get 120 to 180 gallons of water, while the bride and groom celebrated?
How will it help carrying water?
By obedience, the people joined Jesus’ team, then faith to obey, will end up as the first miracle of Jesus’ ministry.
VIII. THE MAN OF GOD WAS LOOSING AS AN INDIVIDUAL, AND SOME MEN BUILT A TEAM OF SUPPORT AROUND HIM.
MOSES AND HIS BROTHER AARON TEAMED WITH A LITTLE KNOWN MAN NAMED HUR.
Exodus 17:12 But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him; and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands,
the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
As a team these three men help bring about a great victory, as individuals failure was ahead.
IX. THERE WAS A NEW KID ON THE BLOCK, SEEMS THE OTHER KIDS HEARD ABOUT THE NEW KID’S PAST AND WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH HIM.
A. THE CHURCH MOVES VERY POORLY WHEN MOTIVATED BY WORRY AND FEAR.
B. Paul’s new ministry is not being received, when an individual named Barnabas joins Paul’s team, and brings the team perspective.
Acts 9:27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to
him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
C. Barnabas is known as the consolation or the encourager. Barnabas is a team player.
X. ANOTHER TIME IN PAUL’S MINISTRY, HE WAS IN GREAT DANGER. THE ENEMIES OF THE MESSENGER AND THE MESSAGE PLOT TO KILL & STOP THE MESSAGE. GOD GAVE PAUL A TEAM...
Acts 9:25 Then the disciples took Paul by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.
WILL YOU HOLD THE LOCAL PASTOR’S HANDS UP TOWARD VICTORY?
You see an edited, practiced, polished high paid professional on TV.
I once was at a huge TV Crusade, I saw the world known minister push away the man handing him the microphone in anger. When I saw the show on TV a few weeks later this was edited out?
Local Christian workers cannot edit out a problem. We must accept each other in love. Be on the team. Hold the rope of the man of God.
XI. THERE WAS ONE SICK MAN, BUT HE HAD A TEAM OF FOUR BEARERS.
Mark 2:3-5 And they came unto Him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.
4: And when they could not come nigh unto Him for the press, they uncovered the roof where He was, and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 5: When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy,
son, they sins be forgiven thee.
Thank God, because this man had four friends he was healed.
Do we bear others to Jesus? Are you part of the bringing team?
XII. THERE WAS A HURT MAN AND HIS OWN TEAM REFUSED TO HELP HIM.
Luke 10 bears record that the Priest and the Levite were too busy to help the hurt man.
Along comes a team player, and helps the hurt man. He was a Samaritan, but he cared enough to help.
Luke 10:34 And went to Him, and bound up His wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
Do we care? Will we go out of our way? Will we invest in love?
XIII. Strong Samson needed a little lad’s hand to lead him.
Victory comes because a little boy joined the team. - Judges 16:26
XIV. Remember when a little girl was taken as a slave?
11 Kings 5:2
She helped the mighty man of valor’s wife. The little maiden heard of Naaman’s sickness, she told Naaman’s wife about God and a man of God. Naaman’s healing all hinged on a little girl team member.
XV. THERE WERE TWO BLIND MEN, AND A TEAM MEMBER WHO TOLD THEM OF JESUS.
Two blind men heard... So someone had to say ...
Matt. 20:30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
Will you share the testimony with others and build the team?
XVI. 12 years of sickness, the money’s gone, then someone shares a few words ...
Mark 5:27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched His garment.
What miracle might you release by sharing your words in love?
A. Through many dangers, toils, snares we have already come!
Deut. 20:1 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
B. There is Comfort He is with US
Isa. 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
XVII. LET US COME TOGETHER, THERE IS PEACE IN UNITY AND ONE MIND
2 Cor. 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind,live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
A. Work toward Unity
Eph. 4:3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
B. Have compassion
1 Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous.
Gen. 28:15 And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land: for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
Exodus 33:14 And he said, my presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
Mat. 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Please build a bridge to others. Let us be with each other. Discipline your heart to be with each other. Don’t allow the enemy to destroy our togetherness!
I do this lesson as a two part series.
HELP ME, BE MY TEAM MEMBER AND SEND THIS TO ANOTHER?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
