Looking at the need for full body involvement to make the body work.
1 Corinthians 3:3-9:5 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not mere human beings? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labour. 9 For we are fellow workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
You can’t play team sports like football if you have not learned how to be part of a team. The only way to be affective is by realising that every person has a role to play in winning the game.
Teamwork Makes The Dream Work!
That’s why Paul compares us to members in a human body.
Paul says; “Now the body is not made up of one part but of many,” 1 Corinthians 12:14
For the body to work correctly, each member has to do their function.
”I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow,” (v6).
The object of the game’s to win. We have forgotten this in this country. We talk about the taking part being what counts. We snatch defeat from the jaws of victory!
One of my friends hates losing. I said to him why and he said, “Winning is everything losers get nothing.” He knows something we forgot – the aim of a game is to win.
Just like in a football game, it takes team work to fill the church with souls and to keep them.
In today’s Scripture Paul is trying to get the Corinthians to become a team that works effectively for building the kingdom of God.
They were divided (v3-5):
You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 4 For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men? 5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants…”
Notice what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:16: “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.”
There were gifted people in the Corinthian Church just like in this Church and all others that belong to Christ but they hadn’t learned yet learned how to serve together.
The Bible says in 1 Cor. 12:7-11:
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
Everyone has something to contribute. If others don’t contribute – or don’t meet the promise of their commitment – everyone else ends up working harder to make up for the lack.
When I worked making forklifts I was on stage two, the guy before me was on stage one. He had to put in brake lines and brake assemblies, rethread holes after the paint shop and so on. I would put in the gear boxes, hydraulics, brake reservoir and connect it all up. But I soon learned that Kevin was hopeless at his part and would end up having to check his work before I got on with mine. All this did was frustrate me – but because he knew I could not do my job unless he did his, he just did not do his well! Odd mentality, but this creeps into the church too!
Everyone can do something.
Am I an Appendix?
The appendix seems to have little use outside of the womb. All it seems to do is hang around, grumble, get infected and, in some cases, surgically removed. There is no room for these in the Body!
The main question to ask yourself is; “Am I part of the team, or am I just a lone ranger?”
Lone rangers look from the outside and criticise. They are not willing to pay the price and be part of the team, but they want to be heard.
Team players get involved with what the Church is doing.
Team players are part of planning. Teams help us to plan the work of the gospel. They mean we can put things in place and plan for future expansion because we know we have the volunteer workforce to get the job done!
There are lots of teams at work in Life Church. In fact there are loads of ministries that need team expansion to help us work. I am only going to mention four but there are literally hundreds of things you could be doing:
- Discovery Kids Ministry. We have about 110 children who come to church regularly. Why not volunteer to help. We don't want our DK ministry to be a baby sitting service, but a discipleship programme. If you’re a parent/grandparent then we’d encourage you especially to get involved.
If you have kids, you have a kids ministry!
- Tech Teams! This is part of our worship team and we need more help with running the sound desk, running the words and getting involved. We’ll train you. You also get the best seat in the house!
- Worship Teams! We know there are musicians out there. We know there are singers. We’d love to expand this area. Why not get involved?
- Base 180 youth ministry on Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays. Pick a day to serve. We have about 100 different teenagers connected with the church and an average of 40 each week here, plus more on a Friday.
- Admin help. Volunteer in the office/reception.
There are loads of other areas to serve in too. If we are truly part of the body then we need to serve here.
In our Life Track Three we talk about discovering your ministry. We talk about Primary Ministry - where I am most gifted and Secondary Ministry - any where I can help. If we all have something to contribute we can all help somewhere.
So what are the Pastor’s going to do? Our job! Ephesians 4:11-13. Nothing in these verses tell us that the ministry gifts have to be full time, but that these gifts are to equip the church for works of service.
One of the ways to do this is through teams!
Reasons why Teams Work
- Duplication - 1 Corinthians 12:15-25
Even The Lone Ranger needed Tonto. Batman needed Robin. Adam needed Eve. Moses needed Aaron. Paul lists in Romans 16 a whole bunch of people who worked with him.
We can accomplish more and duplicate ourselves when we are part of a team.
- Accountability - Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12
When we work as a team we are accountable to one another. We can pick each other up, encourage one another, be stronger together, accomplish more.
Accountability also means that when one is going through something you have a support network and they help you get back on track.
- Unity – Psalm 133
There is power in Unity. On the day of Pentecost something powerful happened because the people were united in one accord.
Not even Jesus tried to do it on His own. He chose twelve. And the twelve followed His pattern and worked as a team.
- Fulfilment - Matthew 25:14-28
When we have gifts that we don;t use we find we end up frustrated and even lax in our spiritual walk.
Using the gifts we have we know that we have done our best for Jesus, who gave His best for us; we find a new level of faith and trust. We know that we will be rewarded.
- Fun - Philippians 2:1-4
There is a joy that comes from being involved. It’s fun to be around others, to participate and to contribute.
There is fun and laughter when Christians fellowship together over a task and rely on each other.
Wrapping It Up
Teamwork is what the Kingdom of God is all about. It will get results and you will feel better about yourself, knowing that if souls are getting saved it is because you are doing your part that God has given to you.
Help us improve on what we are doing, maintain what we have and release ministry’s within the church.
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