What a great team looks like

I have to admit that in the flurry of things going on, until last week, I did not realize that the Super Bowl was going to be in New Orleans. Nor did I realize my favorite NFL team, the Eagles, was going to be playing in it! I doubt I can get tickets, but it would be a fun game to watch at the Superdome! A few times as a kid, I imagined playing in the Super Bowl.

Track with me on the field for a moment. One of the reasons why companies are willing to pay $8 million to run a 30-second ad during the Super Bowl is because they know people are going to be watching the game. President Trump knows people are going to be tuning into their TVs early, so he is set to do an interview in the afternoon.

What makes watching high-level team competitions enjoyable is, in part, the joy of seeing the teams work together and ultimately accomplish particularly amazing achievements. To play football in the Super Bowl is a heart-pumping, adrenaline-filled opportunity that requires a long road of investment and discipline by the team staff, athletes, and coaches. It does not just happen.

Come a little farther down the field with me.

This is going to sound over simplistic, but no matter what happens in football, professional sports, politics, business, marketing, or other parts of the world, remember that there are similar principles at play today.

This includes the church world and the work we do. I'll include that "church work" is what we all do when God inserts us into our families, teams, work places, classrooms, etc. This "church work" is Gospel work.

Gospel work is the most important work being done in the world because it is an expression of the loving grace God gave us to save the world from sin and its crushing curse.

So a church team is made up of individuals who are willing to trust God and do His work together. We love God and love each other in the process. We are willing to go the long road of investment and discipline--just like professional athletic organizations.

What's the trophy? In the Bible, the equivalent of a trophy is often the idea of "fruit." Being a little over 20+ years in our current location in Denham Springs, we are seeing some of the fruit of our labors as the next generation of believers who has responded to God's Word and is on the field to keep moving the "ball" of the Gospel forward. The cool thing about fruit over a trophy is that, while a trophy is nice to put in a trophy case, fruit continues to repeat itself and win again and again. Fruit multiplies the wins!

Sunday morning at 10:30, we're going to look at how God wants His team to look. Now, I will add a word of caution that the Apostles Paul and John use some language in their letters on this subject that is a bit uncouth today. It's a little like "locker room talk." I hope that we won't get caught up in the ancient expressions and digress, but there's some obvious truth in the wording God chose to use, so we'll look at it and learn from it.

In short, as a team, we are constantly moving the "ball" of the Gospel forward together.

Take another set of steps with me. Let's be on the team in a way that God enjoys watching us advance the Gospel.

Also, let's show the world that we are different kind of team as God's children. There should be some miracle-working power on our team, right? It'll be shown by the loving investments and disciplines we make in and for each other that God rewards.

I look forward to seeing a movement of God continue tomorrow as we worship the Lord and grow in His Word! Thank you for being a great team!

Now, let's run a few more plays for the sake of the Gospel. "Hike!"

Be blessed,
Pastor Dennis Schaffer