Teams are common in sports, businesses and sometimes, churches. After all, aren’t we supposed to work together in the church? Teamwork implies a leader, possibly sub-leaders and other people, that combine their efforts to accomplish a task.
What is the task that we in the church have before us? It is to first, be Christ-like (hence the name Christian) and second of all to tell other people about Jesus Christ (If we don’t get the first one right we lose our credibility).
Listen to this passage of scripture from Exodus 18:19 - 22 (NASB). Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, is speaking:
“Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God, 20then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. 21“Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. 22“Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.
The pattern of teaching others the truths of God and placing some of them as leaders over others to teach them is also found in the New Testament:
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; Ephesians 4:11 - 12 (NASB)
One leads, teaches others who then become leaders that teach others, who then become leaders that teach others, who then become…. You get the picture. That’s what it’s all about…teamwork, and each one of us is responsible for our part.
SEEK FIRST THE
