Danville Enlightener

VOL. VIII, No. 22

June 17, 2007

Teamwork

Whether it’s bobsledding, basketball, lacrosse or a local church, success comes as a result of teamwork. Without working together as a team none of the above will achieve very much.

Paul expressed a church’s teamwork with the illustration of a human body. “For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, because I am not a hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, because I am not an eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?” (1 Cor 12:14-19).

He goes on to emphasize that each member of this body (team) is important. “And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.” (1 Cor 12:21-22).

What would happen if our eyes suddenly decided that they would not be part of the body on a given day? Could the hands take their place? Maybe the toes could begin seeing in place of the eyes. Not a chance. You and I both know that if the eyes abruptly bailed, the entire body would suffer.

What if during the AFC playoffs, Peyton Manning decided he did not want to play? It wouldn’t have to be a key player like Manning; it could be a linesman, a defensive back or a kick off specialist. Regardless of the position, the player is important because he is part of the team and he has a special role to fulfill. If he is not there the team suffers.

It is this way with a local church. Every member if this local team is important. Regardless of what it is this local team (church) is doing, we need each member to fill his or her role. “I know I am to lead singing, but I won’t be here because I am going to attend another church tonight.” When this happens, then the team is hurt. Tim Duncan informs his coach before a game, “I won’t be here tonight, I am going to play for the Clippers.” Our response would be, “What’s he thinking he plays for the San Antonia Spurs?”

“I know we have a gospel meeting scheduled but we won’t be there we have made other plans, sorry.” What are these people thinking? Their decision hurts the effort of the local church to reach the lost and edify the saved. It says to the team, you just cannot depend on us, you’ll have to do the best you can, and we are not going to “play.”

Do not misunderstand; this is not to suggest that it is never permissible to be away from an assembly or work of the local church. Occasionally we will find it necessary to be elsewhere when the local church is engaging in its work. Assemblies are arranged so as to accommodate the calendars of the members. For example a midweek Bible study is arranged for Wednesday evening; this proves to be the most accommodative for the majority of members. A few, however, may not be able to attend; others might be sick or traveling out of town, etc.

What this commentary is addressing, however, is teamwork and the attitude we bring into our being part of this local team. When plans are made, they are made in view of each member supplying his or her part (Eph 4:16). If a team member chooses to desert the team then we cannot hope to be effective in whatever the endeavor might be; gospel meeting, fair booth, visitation work or vacation bible studies.

Recently I spoke with an evangelist in the area who told me that he thinks local churches should schedule their gospel meetings when the local evangelist is away preaching in a gospel meeting. His reasoning was based upon the fact that another evangelist would be occupying the pulpit thus freeing up the local preacher to be elsewhere. While on the surface this might sound plausible, I believe it is fundamentally flawed.

It says that a vital member of the team should not be part of a special team effort. Whether the local evangelist is preaching or not is not the important issue. What is paramount is that he be there to work with the team to have a successful meeting.

We have some very important team efforts scheduled for the rest of 2007 that will require a total team effort; our VBS (June 25-29); the fair booth (July) and our fall gospel meeting (Sept 23-38).

You might not be the “quarterback” but you are needed. If you do no more than occupy a seat to encourage the effort you have helped. Can this team depend on YOU?   

-jrb

Question

An interesting question was posed to me. “Since the word ‘Christian’ is a noun, is it unscriptural to use the word as an adjective?” I am not going to wade into a study of grammar because I think the question has more to do with “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God,” (1 Pet 4:11). Thus, is it speaking as the oracles of God to use a biblical noun as an adjective?

A short answer is YES. Yes, so long as what we are expressing is scriptural. Several years ago Florida College was called “Florida Christian College.” That use of Christian was, I believe, unscriptural because it expressed something that is unbiblical. There can be no such thing as a “Christian College.” But then to conclude that a man appears to be a “Christian man” would, in my judgment, express a biblical concept; a man can be a Christian.

The word “gospel” is also a noun (with a verb form) and nowhere, to my knowledge, does the Bible use it as an adjective. Yet, today we refer to weeklong preaching meetings as “gospel meetings.” This is using a biblical noun as an adjective, but it expresses precisely what we are doing. Thus, it is scriptural to use this biblical noun as an adjective.

Speaking as the oracles of God does not forbid using nouns as adjectives or using words that are not found in the Bible either, such as “Bible.” The word “worship” is used in the Bible as a noun but more often as a verb, yet we occasionally use it as an adjective such as in “worship service.” Therefore, it is my assertion that to announce either our next “worship service” or “Bible study” is perfectly scriptural. To announce our next “gospel meeting” is in line with scripture as well as observing that “Ralph appears to be a fine Christian man.”

Let’s be diligent to always speak as the oracles of God but let’s not make grammatical rules God did not make.

-jrb

"As I See It"

There are few defining moments in the lives of everyone. By defining moments I mean events that occur that have a tremendous if not a life altering affect upon us. Can you think of these moments in your life?

Some in my life that come to mind include; leaving my grandparents to begin living with my mother and step-father. Until I was almost eight-years-old I was raised by my maternal grandparents. This was a traumatic time in my life. Unless it has happened to you it would be hard for you to understand the damage such uprooting does to a small child.

Another defining moment in my life was receiving a registered letter from President Lyndon B. Johnson. It said in part: “Greetings, You are hereby directed to present yourself for Armed Forces Physical Examination of the local board named above by reporting at . . .” Yep, my draft notice! Beginning on February 14, 1966 and for the next two years I served in the United States Army.

The next defining moment in my life was when Sue and I married. It was February 24, 1968 that I promised “to have and to hold, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health” a woman I deeply loved. Coming from a broken home, I vowed to myself that I would not allow this one to break if I could at all help it.

Becoming a father. Three defining moments was the birth of my children. I never knew one’s heart could be so enlarged so as to love others as much as I begin loving my children. But now as a grandfather of ten (nearly eleven), I find that the capacity for love is endless. Truly the role of father and grandfather is a defining moment.

But the most defining moment came in June of 1972 when I finally said yes to the call of the gospel and became a Christian. Not only did I receive forgiveness and begin a life of hope, I learned how to become the man God had wanted me to be.

AS I SEE IT, there is no wonder that this wonderful defining moment in the lives of all who so choose is called being born again (Jn 3:3-6). Receiving from God a brand new start is indeed defining. Paul stated it very simply when he wrote: “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). Faith is not a one time act or event, but a lifetime, a walk, a defining walk.