Nothing was as exhilarating as Friday night's emotionally charged football game. The enthusiasm of the crowd, the intensity of the announcer's voice, the icy-cold metal bleachers, the fresh aroma of popcorn, the polished marching band, the bubbly cheerleaders and the brisk night air all added to the excitement of the evening. Most of all, I loved those tenacious fighting Herscher Tigers, complete with their black and gold uniforms and their brilliant white cleats.
Every time they ran out onto the field, lined up for a play, broke a huddle, or advanced the ball, the crowd would explode with excitement. The football games were the place to be on Friday night! Every weekend I would stand along the fence, hollering and carrying on until I grew hoarse. It sure was fun watching those ball games from the stands.
It was even more fun when in high school, I became a part of the team. It was as if a whole new world opened up for me overnight. Suddenly it was me who was marching out of the locker room onto the playing field. It was me in the black and gold uniform with the gleaming white cleats. It was me kneeling in the huddle, listening to the coach's pre-game pep-talk. It was me warming up on the field with the team as the pep band performed.
For the first time in my life, I was right down there on the field where all the action was. I could hear the violent collision of pads and helmets with every tackle and play. I could smell the fresh sod and the stench of my teammates sweat-soaked uniforms. I could feel the anticipation and sheer enthusiasm of the crowd behind me. I could see the whites of our opponents' eyes.
I wish I could say I scored a touchdown or that I was ever allowed on the field at anytime other than the last few minutes of the fourth quarter of a game we had no absolutely no chance of losing. But that is another story.
My point is that there is a world of difference between being a part of the team and being a spectator in the crowd. There is a difference between watching and participating. There is a difference between cheering from the stands and lining up against an opponent. There is a difference between sitting on cold bleachers while eating popcorn and sipping hot chocolate and moving the ball toward the goal line. There is a difference between celebrating a victory and taking part in a victory.
It's a difference that applies as equally to the Church as it does to the game of football.
From scripture, it is evident that Christ designed his Church to function as a team, or unit. He wants all of us in the game participating, contributing, serving, working, sweating, toiling, straining, praying, or laboring to move the ball downfield. God doesn't want any of us sitting on the sidelines eating popcorn and sipping hot chocolate. He wants every last one of us suited up, on the field, ready to play.
In Christ's church there are no spectators, only team players.
Now having said this, I realize some of you may not know what I am talking about. So let me give this same idea from several different perspectives. For quite some time now, I have been serving God in the professional ministry. I wasn't in the ministry for more than a few months before I began noticing that everyone I minister to has definite feelings about my role.
The preacher as "church chaplain."
For example, some see my role as that of a chaplain. That is, many believe that my primary purpose is to facilitate worship services, conduct weddings and funerals, and of course, to pray. If someone in the church needs prayer or if a meal is about to be served, I am the guy who is always called upon to pray. If someone is sick or dying, it is my responsibility to tend to their needs. If someone misses communion, it is my job to administer it promptly. If someone wants to be baptized, that too is my job. If the school district needs a speaker for baccalaureate or if the veterans need someone to participate in a service, just call Jon! To those who see me as a chaplain, if there is any kind of spiritual matter, I am to be on call twenty-four hours a day to personally meet whatever need arises.
The preacher as "priest."
Along these same lines, some see my role as that of priest. Priests have sacred responsibilities, things no one else can or should do. Priests have a kind of monopoly on ministry. They are the official clergy. They are set apart. They alone have been ordained. When it comes to praying in the worship service, conducting a baptism or wedding, or preaching a sermon, only a special person like a minister should be doing these things. One minister in a church I attended stood in the pulpit one Sunday and said, "No one in this church should do evangelism but me. I will handle all the baptisms." On the flip side of this, I regularly have people say to me, "Jon, only you should do that and no one else. You have a special relationship with God."
The preacher as "the minister."
Some see my role as THE minister. I am not A minister (i.e. one among many). I am IT! I am the minister. I'm seen as a kind of one-man force, a jack-of-all trades, a three-in-one oil with many applications, a versatile WD-40 super pastor or super star. I am seen as the only player on the field.
The preacher as "hired hand."
Still others see my role as that of a hired hand. Do you have a need? Do you need prayer? Do you want help? Feeling sick? Some would say, "Don't talk to me. That's what we pay him for."
You are no doubt beginning to get the idea. The point is that many see the staff as the official ministering agents of the church. Meanwhile, the church at large is made exempt in ministering to the spiritual matters and the regular needs of the church at large. The church is more or less sidelined and reduced to the role of spectator.
The Church is a Team Sport
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, it takes a team to win a ball game. We cannot afford to have people sitting on the sidelines. While some ministers love playing the role of the chaplain, the priest or THE minister, and while some ministers crave the control, power, and attention of being constantly needed, it just shouldn't be. We, as a church, should work together as a team to meet the needs among us. This is God's will.
Now, if you brought your Bible with you this morning, I want you to look at a passage of scripture that affirms what I have been saying and takes things a step further. Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV) referring to Jesus Christ says, "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
Ephesians 4 affirms several things about the Church and her ministry.
Everyone is part of the team and everyone is gifted to serve.
In Ephesians 4:11 (NIV) Paul says, "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers." There are many other passages that affirm the giftedness of God's people.
Romans 12:4-8 (NIV) says, "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."
1 Peter 4:10 (NIV) says, "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."
Every one of us has been uniquely gifted to serve others. 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) describes us as a, "royal priesthood" of ministers. All of us are to serve. No one is exempt from ministry. We are not a church with a minister, but rather a church of ministers. I personally am no more or less a minister than you are. None of us are any more or less obligated to serve than the next person. You have gifts. I have gifts. We each have a responsibility to use our gifts.
You cannot be a part of the real church unless you get involved in ministry. And the church is strongest when everyone is ministering in their area of giftedness. All of us own the ministry of this church. We are a team.
Ministers are to be equipping the church to serve.
In Ephesians 4:11-12 (NIV) notice, "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare [or equip] God's people for works of service."
There is an old proverb that says, "Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day; teach him how to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime." God's model for ministry is that we build our ministry for the future, for a lifetime. As we serve, we should have an apprentice, a minister in training. As we serve, we should be equipping someone to take our place after we're gone. As we serve, we should be duplicating ourselves into another person. As we serve, we should look beyond the moment into the future and ask, "Who can I get to help me? Who will carry this ministry on?"
When teachers teach in our Sunday school, they should be training someone else. When elders shepherd the flock, they should be cultivating new leadership. An equipping mindset should permeate every area of our church's ministry. It should never be said in this place, "Only pastors get to use their God-given gifts and abilities." It should never be said by anyone here, "All I keep doing is sitting and watching others minister."
Moreover, no one is to have such a stranglehold on any area of the church's ministry that people are excluded from using and developing their gifts. One person shouldn't be doing it all the time. Rather, we should allow as many to serve as are willing to grow in their ability to use their special God-given gifts.
In regard to staff hiring and staff evaluation, we should never hire people to do all of the ministry here. We should hire people to equip all members to minister, because it is God's will. The ministry staff, including myself, are not here to use you merely as helpers. Our goal should be to equip, support, motivate, mentor, and enable you to become all that God desires you to be. Our goal should be to unleash the Church so that we can achieve our potential together.
What is the goal toward which we serve?
God's ultimate goal is that, "the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge ofthe Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:12-13 (NIV) The ultimate goal for us, both personally and corporately, is simple. It's that we build each other into Christ-likeness, until we attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
We will not attain Christ-likeness until all of us are lining up on the playing field, side-by-side, ready to serve and equip each other for ministry.
Are you a team player or a spectator?
There is a vast difference between being a part of the team and being a spectator. There is a difference between watching and participating. There is a difference between cheering from the stands and lining up against an opponent. There is a difference between sitting on cold bleachers while eating popcorn and sipping hot chocolate and moving the ball toward the goal line. There is a difference between celebrating a victory and taking part in a victory.
Christ designed this church to function as a team. He wants all of us in the game participating, contributing, serving, working, sweating, toiling, straining, praying, and laboring to move ball downfield. He doesn't want any of us sitting on the sideline eating popcorn or sipping hot chocolate. He wants us to be a part of the action of equipping. He wants every last one of us to be suited up on the field, ready to play.
In Christ's church there are no spectators, only team players.