Today, let’s wrap-up our Soccer series, by meditating on two more subjects…
Co-ordination
Now let’s play a defense-splitting pass. Splitting the devil’s defense that is.
What is a football team without teamwork? A BIG ZERO!
To win, the team needs to work like a well-oiled machine with each part playing its role to perfection. The defenders, the midfielders and forwards with a goalie in tow, HAVE THEIR OWN SPECIALIZED ROLES TO PLAY TOGETHER IN CONSONANCE WITH THE GOAL OF THE TEAM TO SCORE A GOAL!
By the same token what is a Church with several “gifted individuals” without proper co-ordination amongst themselves? A non-entity!
Team work in its noblest form is not only about playing with each other but playing for each other. Consider Apostle Paul’s wise words here, spoken in the context of much needed “teamwork” in the Corinthian church… “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” (I Cor 12:4-7)
Best example of team work? You do not have to look beyond the Trinity working in unity to procure our salvation. God chose us, Son shed His blood on the cross as a ransom to purchase us from sin’s grasp, and the Holy Spirit convicted us at the right time and made us accept the Divine Redemption plan. And the Holy Spirit would keep the sanctification process going till we reach the heavenly shores, or till the Bridegroom comes to receive us (I Peter 1:2).
Didn’t somebody say in this context of Salvation “God thought it, Christ bought it, Holy Spirit wrought it and though devil fought it, praise God, I have got it”! Hallelujah!
Also have we ever praised the Trinity for absolute selflessness within themselves? The Son was willing to die an excruciating death on the cross to obey His Father’s will (Luke 22:42) and the Father selflessly exalted the Son’s name above ALL names-Philippians 2:9(including His own names such as Elohim, El-Shaddai, Adonai etc) and the Holy Spirit when we are worshipping helps us but never calls attention to Himself. AMAZING ISN’T IT? THE OTHER-CENTREDNESS IN TRINITY!
If this does not inspire us to play for each other, then nothing else will! Historically, it has been proven that if the Church is to take wing… all the wings of the Church have to work in harmony. Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.-Eph 4:11-12
Remember the good ole’ definition of the word TEAM? TOGETHER EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE! Do I need to say anything MORE?
Destination
What is the ultimate goal of any player/team in the World cup competition? To win the cup that matters.
All the hard work, tonnes of sweat shed in training, the expectations of countless fans, players’ personal dreams, all suffuse in that one ethereal moment …when the cup is handed over to the team.
Oh the joys of lifting the cup in full media glare!
Hey, Christian you are pursuing a loftier goal, aren’t we…? “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:14)
This heavenly prize (too beautiful to describe), mind you won’t slip away from our hands after say 4 years, like the earthly World cup does at times. OURS is for keeps! So press on …and land the prize, praising Him! Hallelujah!
Prayer: Father enable us at all times to humbly serve one another with our gifts and press on to receive the heavenly prize from Thy hands alone. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Suresh Manoharan
Hyderabad-India
www.jandsmministries.com
(To access the entire “Lessons From World Cup Football” mini-series, please click here.)