**Sermon Outline**
Being Part of a Good Team
Titus 3:12-15
A Little Review (From Week 2 - "Start Your Engines")
1. You must first have a personal encounter with Jesus. (vv. 11-12)
2. You must change some of your behaviors. (vv. 13-14)
3. You must seek a unique ministry of service that God is calling you to. (vv. 15-17a)
4. You must spend personal, quiet, devotional time in preparation for this race. (vv. 17b-18a)
5. You must seek the counsel of other experienced “racers.” (vv. 18b-19)
6. You must start your engines, and RUN THE RACE! (vv. 21-24)
Bible Truths
We must learn these important “teamwork principles” demonstrated in the relationship between Paul and Titus:
1. God intends for us to “run this race” together. (v. 12)
2. We must enthusiastically and generously support those who are “running in the lead.” (v. 13)
3. We must all do good works and be productive, contributing members of the team. (v. 14)
• When you do good works, you meet the needs of others.
• When you meet other’s needs, your own needs are met.
4. Don’t get so caught up in running the race of faith that you forget the people around you. (v. 15)
• Make sure you greet everyone.
• Always give grace to everyone.
LIFE APPLICATIONS
1. Be on the lookout for your fellow believers who have needs. Don’t forget the people around you! Remember … we’re in this “race” together.
2. Give generously for the ministries of your church.
3. Become a World Changers sponsor.
4. Support the financial needs of our local mission project.
5. Remember the three minute rule. Find and greet five people you don’t know before you leave today!
**Message Plan and Transcript**
Being Part of a Good Team
Titus 3:12-15
(Speciaql Note - I have utilized the outline and message entitled “Working as a Team,” provided by Pastor Brian Bill on sermoncentral.com, as a framework for preparing this message. I simply adapted many of the points, and some of his excellent sermon text, to fit my current “NASCAR” theme.” I want to thank Pastor Bill for his unique and interesting study of Titus 3:12-15.)
Opening Illustration
A newspaper photographer wanted to get pictures of a fire so his newspaper agreed to charter a plane for him. When he arrived at the airport, he jumped into the plane and yelled, “Take off!” Once in the air, the photographer yelled to the pilot to make two or three low passes over the fire. The pilot asked, “Why do you want me to do that?” The photographer proudly replied in an overconfident voice: “Because I’m a photojournalist and I need to take pictures of the fire. Get me as close as you can!” To which the pilot answered in a very shaky voice, “You mean you’re not the flight instructor?”
(From Brian Bill’s Message, “Working as a Team.”)
Those two fellows each made one too many assumptions, didn’t they? You might say that they both had some unmet expectations. And I can guarantee you that in order to complete both of their assignments that day, they had to practice some teamwork … maybe more teamwork than they had ever attempted before.
That’s what we’re going to talk about today … the subject teamwork. How many of you have ever been part of a team? Good! Now, how many of you have ever been on a team that was great … a team that performed really well? Okay … now how many of you have ever been on a team that really stunk. I mean, it just reeked … you couldn’t win unless the other team just didn’t show up.
You know … the same kinds of things can happen right here at the church. We are a team. And unless every single person pulls his or her weight, the team suffers. So, as we keep moving toward the Finish Line, and as we talk about what it takes to run this race of life and faith, today we’re going to learn about the importance of Being Part of a Good Team. But before we do that … let’s review a little.
A Little Review
From “Start Your Engines …”
1. You must first have a personal encounter with Jesus. (vv. 11-12)
2. You must change some of your behaviors. (vv. 13-14)
3. You must seek a unique ministry of service that God is calling you to. (vv. 15-17a)
4. You must spend personal, quiet, devotional time in preparation for this race. (vv. 17b-18a)
5. You must seek the counsel of other experienced “racers.” (vv. 18b-19)
6. You must start your engines, and RUN THE RACE! (vv. 21-24)
Bible Transition
Now, today we’re going to study in a book that many of you probably don’t know much about. We’re going to be in the tiny little letter to Titus. Titus was a Greek believer. He was taught and discipled by Paul. He was one of Paul’s traveling companions and most trusted friends. Over time, he grew in his ministry until he became the overseer (that means pastor and elder) over the churches on the island of Crete. This letter was part of the discipleship process that was ongoing between Paul and Titus. It is full of instruction, encouragement, and wisdom from the experienced Paul to this young pastor.
We are actually going to study carefully the concluding words of this letter. Often times the openings and the endings of Paul’s letters aren’t given much attention. But this one is full of teamwork principles. So, let’s read it together, and see what God has to teach us today about Being Part of a Good Team.
Read Titus 3:12-15
Bible Truths
We must learn these important “teamwork principles” demonstrated in the relationship between Paul and Titus:
1. God intends for us to “run this race” together. (v. 12)
You see, Paul was into personal discipleship. He knows that this young pastor is under a lot of stress from the ministry on the island. So, he tells him, “As soon as I send Artemas of Tychicus to you, do your best to meet me at Necropolis…”
Paul was a team player. He was into relationships. Did you know that he mentions specifically, by name, over 100 people in his letters? He partnered with people. When he led people to Christ, he didn’t just leave them hanging out there on their own. He committed to making disciples out of them. And he wanted to invest more time in this young man. He wanted him to get to Necropolis before the winter, so that they could share those precious months together.
He was sort of taking the Jesus approach. There was one instance, in the book of Mark, when the disciples returned from their ministry and were tired. And we see in Mark 6:32 that Jesus made it a priority to get alone with them. It says, “So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.”
Friends, relationships are vitally important in the life of the church. In fact, the church was created to be a community of interdependent people. Romans 12:5 tells us … And many of us are familiar with the proverb of old in Proverbs 27:17…
We are supposed to run this race together. We are supposed to share our experiences … our needs, our hurts, and our praises. And do you want to know a secret? Did you know that your church friends don’t have to be just like you? We can sometimes get a bit confused about that. Sometimes, because of our LIFE Groups, people manage to get a bit confused about fellowship in the church… Did you know that Paul was friends with everyone from a doctor to a runaway slave? He loved people from a Jewish background, yet some of his closest friends didn’t have a clue who Abraham was.
Illustration: I remember when I went to consult with a LIFE group a couple of years ago that was experiencing difficulty. It came up in the conversation that one of the people said something to the effect that they didn’t feel free to do things with so-and-so because they were in another LIFE Group. And do you know how I reacted to that? I thought that was just about the silliest thing I had ever heard. Friends our LIFE Groups are designed to give you freedom to fellowship, not to restrict it. You can enjoy all of the love and friendships that you want to in this church … but make sure you make LIFE Group a priority, because it is the one place where fellowship, prayer, and Bible study converge for the adults of our church. If you are not a faithful, active part of a LIFE Group, you cannot truly understand what it is to be a part of Crossroads Fellowship, because you are only seeing a small part of the whole.
We are supposed to run this race together … and our way of doing that at Crossroads is in our LIFE Groups.
Transition Illustration: There was once a young pastor who was troubled about the giving in his church. It seemed that the offerings being received were falling way short of their obvious potential. So, this young pastor thought he would try something new. During the offertory hymn he asked everyone to stand. Then he asked everyone to reach forward to the person in front of him and get his pocketbook. Then he added, “Now open the pocketbook and give like you have always wanted to, but felt you couldn’t afford.” (1001 Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking, 403)
Whew! That would shake things up a bit, wouldn’t it. All right, everybody stand up … just kidding! We get a little bit picky about our money, don’t we? Some of us, in fact, get much more than picky … we’re just downright stingy … and selfish.
Now, why have I brought up giving today? After all, this isn’t a stewardship sermon … even though we’re probably due for one … I bring it up because Paul brought it up in his closing comments to young Titus.
Look again at what he said in verse 13 … Now, what is the lesson for us here?
2. We must enthusiastically and generously support those who are “running in the lead.” (v. 13)
Zenas and Apollos were essentially traveling missionaries. They brought their ministry to Crete, and now they need other people to give so they can move on to their next location. This was, and continues to be, an important practice in the life of every church. We give to support our missionaries, our ministries, and our pastors. We are supposed to give generously and quickly to support those who are running “in the lead,” who are out there in the “front lines” of ministry.
I fear that, often times, many of our church folk don’t really understand the importance of their giving. They don’t pay attention enough to understand what it is that they are giving to. I’ll bet that there are some of you who have been spending God’s money on yourself for a mighty long time … and then you wonder why finances are such a struggle for you.
Friends … please understand my heart and understand this biblical principle. Until you give in a biblical way, and like it or not the Bible teaches the minimum standard of a 10% tithe plus other offerings of generosity, you will not ever know the blessing of true stewardship. Until you are willing to set aside God’s seed money, in faith, you will not harvest a crop of financial responsibility.
Your giving is important. What you give here, in your church, in these little baskets, is important. Right here, in our new, little church, our giving goes to support so many important, biblical, Christ-centered ministries. We don’t just pay the bills and buy stuff. Portions of every offering dollar go to fund important ministries like:
• Living Waters Fellowship – Oak Grove
• Seaway Valley Baptist Church – Cornwall, Ontario
• The International Mission Board (Over 5,200 Missionaries)
• Kentucky Missions and Ministries
• Trigg County Missions and Ministries
• The North American Mission Board (5,126 Missionaries in the U.S. and Canada)
• Six Biblically Sound Seminaries – Training Future Pastors and Missionaries
• Mission Trips
• Your Pastor and His Family
Maybe you haven’t really thought about that … but I want you to understand. I want to make this personal for you. My family relies upon you for our practical support. This is my job. It’s what God and this church have called me to do … full time. I am the shepherd of Crossroads Fellowship, and you might say that I have been called to “run in the lead” in this local race of faith.
Now … think about this for a moment. Think about your personal pattern of giving. Think about your faithfulness to give, or maybe lack thereof. Now … think about this … if everyone in this church gave to the ministries of this church just like you do, what would happen to our support of all of these ministries? And what would happen to my family?
Friends … stewardship is vital. Your giving is a thermometer that indicates the health of your spiritual life. I believe that many of us need to take a few “stewardship vitamins” and get back to supporting the work of the Lord like we know we’re supposed to. We must support those who are out there on the front lines, running the lead in this race of faith.
Our third important “teamwork principle” that Paul taught Titus is this:
3. We must all do good works and be productive, contributing members of the team. (v. 14)
Paul has taught us that we must devote ourselves to what is good … to doing good works in the Kingdom. I especially appreciate the last part of this verse. He ways that we’re to “provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.” Do you understand the implication of this verse? Friends, unless you, as a Christian, are out there doing practical ministries … unless you are a part of meeting the needs of others in Christian ministry … you are leading an “unproductive life.”
People who are active in ministry, and anyone who has ever been involved in missions, understands these two basic principles very well.
• When you do good works, you meet the needs of others.
• When you meet other’s needs, your own needs are met.
When you give of yourself, you always get something back. Folks, that’s how God works. But how does our human nature work? It tells us to keep everything to ourselves and meet our own needs. Exactly the opposite of the nature and passion of God.
Let me be an encouragement to you. If you are a Christian, and you do not have a meaningful, personal, Christian ministry in your life, you are living outside the will of God in your life right now. We need you to step down out of the stands, and get in the race with us. You will never truly understand how deep personal fulfillment can be until you start giving of yourself for the cause of Christ.
And, finally, one last “teamwork principle.” Let me share it with you quickly. It is a principle that we so often forget, and that forgetting so often drives people away from the church…
4. Don’t get so caught up in running the race of faith that you forget the people around you. (v. 15)
Isn’t is sad that church can often be one of the loneliest places in the world? Folks, it takes courage for many people to walk through the door of a church. Because so many have had their hearts broken in churches. So many people have looked up those long noses of judgment that so often greet them when they walk through those big, white church doors. So many people are discouraged because their lives are in a shambles, and the people in the church seem to have it all together. So many people walk into churches every Sunday, never to be hugged, embraced, encouraged … even spoken to. It is a travesty, and it is a tragedy. What can we do? How can we be different at Crossroads Fellowship?
• Make sure you greet everyone.
• Always give grace to everyone.
Some of you need to pay attention to me and obey my lithe three-minute rule. Some of you need to break our of your clique and go find someone you don’t know to talk to. Listen to me. I fully intend that Crossroads Fellowship is and will continue to be the warmest, most down-to-earth, most accepting, and most encouraging body of Christians in this community. No long noses of judgment here. No strange looks. No one will ever walk in these doors and walk out without some new friends. That’s the way it’s going to be. Get used to it … or get to getting`.
Closing Illustration
In the summer of 2002, nine miners were trapped for three days in a water-filled mine shaft in Quecreek, Pennsylvania. After their amazing rescue, the miners said that they “decided early on they were either going to live or die as a group.” The 55 degree water threatened to kill them slowly by hypothermia. According to a news report, they came up with a plan: “When one would get cold, the other eight would huddle around the person and warm that person, and when another person got cold, the favor was returned.”
“Everybody had strong moments,” miner Harry B. Mayhugh told reporters after being released from the hospital. “But any certain time maybe one guy got down, and then the rest pulled together. And then that guy would get back up, and maybe someone else would feel a little weaker, but it was a team effort. That’s the only way it could have been.” In a special worship service that took place a couple days later, ten helmets were placed on the altar at a church, representing the nine miners and God. They faced incredibly hostile conditions together—and they all came out alive together. (Adapted from “Teamwork Helped Miners Survive Underground,” CNN.com (7-28-02) and www.preachingtoday.com).
What a picture of the body of Christ! We have been created to be in community with one another. God has called us to, and expects us to, work together as a team. Are you doing your part? How’s your giving? Do you have a ministry? Do you pay attention to the people around you, or are you still too caught up in your self? Let me challenge you today, get in the race! We need every single member of this team to be active, faithful, and effective.
Prayer and Challenge
Team Commitments
• Christ
• Church
• Loving
• Ministry
• Giving
LIFE APPLICATIONS
1. Be on the lookout for your fellow believers who have needs. Don’t forget the people around you! Remember … we’re in this “race” together.
2. Give generously for the ministries of your church.
3. Become a World Changers sponsor.
4. Support the financial needs of our local mission project.
5. Remember the three minute rule. Find and greet five people you don’t know before you leave today!
