Romans 12:3-8
I am a big sports fan, as everyone already knows. I love to watch my favorite teams, and at one time, I really enjoyed playing sports. Whether it was baseball in high school or hockey all the time, I enjoyed being a part of a team. In fact, in high school I was able to be a part of two State Championship baseball teams in the Michigan Association of Christian Schools. We were highly successful having won 28 out of 29 in a stretch of games from my sophomore year to my senior year. We worked together. We strategized together. We performed together. We excelled together. We even laughed together. One of the guys on our team would scream out a cheer in the middle of the game. It went something like this: “What are we gonna do tonight? Rock the pitcher! What are we gonna do tonight? Hit the ball! How far? Over the wall! How tall? Ten feet tall!” I know it sounds silly, and it was, but it was also our battle-cry, and we were “all-in” together. In four years, we won 80% of our games. We were talented, but more importantly, we were together! We were a team in every way, shape, and form. With one mission and one goal, we became champions...for something pretty meaningless when you compare it to what I am going to say next.
Here’s the thing; I see it all the time. In America, we’re pretty good at “teams” - corporate, sports, politics, and so much more. Sadly, the most important team, we don’t find to be that important for our lives – God's church. Oh, we “come to church,” but are we “being the church?” That’s the bigger question? What if the 2nd baseman on our team decided to do his own thing? A ball is hit to him; he fields it and tries to “run it over” to 1st base! Can you imagine that? Crazier yet; the shortstop decides that he is going to cover the entire outfield as well! Worst yet; the left fielder decides to sit down in the middle of the game and pick dandelions (and he’s not even a five-year-old). Now, are you going to succeed with such tomfoolery? Absolutely not! Why? Because that is NOT how a team functions! A team needs one another to be successful! A team needs YOU! God’s team needs YOU too! Are you willing?
The Apostle Paul explained in this section of Romans that it is “arrogant” to think that you are not needed in the function of the church, or worse yet, that the church is there primarily to appease you. It was also possible that some Christians in Rome would have considered themselves to be “indispensable” valuing themselves above others. So, Paul reminded them that the church is for all believers.
Every successful team has various parts who know their roles and passionately do them. Just like my baseball team, not everyone is a pitcher, shortstop, or even batter, but everyone is valuable. Paul’s emphasis to the Romans was on unity and activity. Too many Christians in the American church are spectators instead of participators. They come and sit in a chair and “soak in,” but they never “serve out!” Why? Entitlement. Complacency. Pride. Laziness. You MUST make sure that you reject this kind of self-centered Christianity.
I’d encourage you to reread this section and consider the different spiritual gifts that Paul mentions. Where do you fall? What gifts do you have to offer to the church and community? Notice how I didn’t even mention the list of gifts that Paul describes in this section. I didn’t mention them to you because the bigger issue is how we view our role on the team. According to Paul’s letter to the Romans, the church members “belong to one another.” Meaning that we are accountable and responsible to one another, just like a catcher is responsible for catching the pitch from his pitcher. Can you imagine a pitcher trying to throw a pitch, run to homeplate before it gets there, and catch it? This is not the Matrix, so that’s not humanly possible ?! The pitcher relies on the catcher. The shortstop relies on the 1st baseman. The outfielder relies on his coach to position him properly. Simply said, each member of the team is relying on someone else on the team.
So, who is relying on you at Emmanuel Church? How has the investment of your spiritual gifts impacted, encouraged, and benefited others? Let’s not be prideful to think that we can call ourselves Christians and stay uninvolved on the greatest team to ever be assembled – God's Church! You need me. I need you. The community needs all of us. Do your part!
Here’s the thing; I see it all the time. In America, we’re pretty good at “teams” - corporate, sports, politics, and so much more. Sadly, the most important team, we don’t find to be that important for our lives – God's church. Oh, we “come to church,” but are we “being the church?” That’s the bigger question? What if the 2nd baseman on our team decided to do his own thing? A ball is hit to him; he fields it and tries to “run it over” to 1st base! Can you imagine that? Crazier yet; the shortstop decides that he is going to cover the entire outfield as well! Worst yet; the left fielder decides to sit down in the middle of the game and pick dandelions (and he’s not even a five-year-old). Now, are you going to succeed with such tomfoolery? Absolutely not! Why? Because that is NOT how a team functions! A team needs one another to be successful! A team needs YOU! God’s team needs YOU too! Are you willing?
The Apostle Paul explained in this section of Romans that it is “arrogant” to think that you are not needed in the function of the church, or worse yet, that the church is there primarily to appease you. It was also possible that some Christians in Rome would have considered themselves to be “indispensable” valuing themselves above others. So, Paul reminded them that the church is for all believers.
Every successful team has various parts who know their roles and passionately do them. Just like my baseball team, not everyone is a pitcher, shortstop, or even batter, but everyone is valuable. Paul’s emphasis to the Romans was on unity and activity. Too many Christians in the American church are spectators instead of participators. They come and sit in a chair and “soak in,” but they never “serve out!” Why? Entitlement. Complacency. Pride. Laziness. You MUST make sure that you reject this kind of self-centered Christianity.
I’d encourage you to reread this section and consider the different spiritual gifts that Paul mentions. Where do you fall? What gifts do you have to offer to the church and community? Notice how I didn’t even mention the list of gifts that Paul describes in this section. I didn’t mention them to you because the bigger issue is how we view our role on the team. According to Paul’s letter to the Romans, the church members “belong to one another.” Meaning that we are accountable and responsible to one another, just like a catcher is responsible for catching the pitch from his pitcher. Can you imagine a pitcher trying to throw a pitch, run to homeplate before it gets there, and catch it? This is not the Matrix, so that’s not humanly possible ?! The pitcher relies on the catcher. The shortstop relies on the 1st baseman. The outfielder relies on his coach to position him properly. Simply said, each member of the team is relying on someone else on the team.
So, who is relying on you at Emmanuel Church? How has the investment of your spiritual gifts impacted, encouraged, and benefited others? Let’s not be prideful to think that we can call ourselves Christians and stay uninvolved on the greatest team to ever be assembled – God's Church! You need me. I need you. The community needs all of us. Do your part!
Posted in Devotional