“ARE YOU ON THE TEAM?”


The second day at chapel, while tossing the soccer ball back and forth to us, Richard posed this question: “Are you on the team?” Because if you’re going to be “in the game,” you have to be “on the team!”


Richard described what it’s like to be on a team; things like cooperation, understanding the game, playing your position, listening to the coach, and so forth. Then he read a passage of Scripture, Matthew 7:21-23:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will say to them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

“...I never knew you...” A warning, from Jesus...

Richard reminded us from the previous day’s teaching that lots of churches are not “in the game” that God has for us to play. These churches only think locally, or maybe nationally, but they are not fully participating in the whole game that is God’s strategy for spreading the gospel.

Then he went on to say that Jesus is our coach! In this game of spreading the “good news” to all the earth, Jesus is the one who leads the team, calls the plays, corrects, encourages, mixes things up when necessary, keeps the bigger picture in mind as the game unfolds, etc. The question is: are we on the team, following Coach Jesus, and being a team player? It takes more than saying “Yes,” having good intentions, and kicking the ball around a bit. Richard pointed out that these verses from Matthew serve notice that not all churches and not all individuals are “on the team.” They might think they are, saying good things and even doing nice things, but no! They are not committed to the game--to God’s game. They are not full participants and, therefore, not submiting to the authority of His coach. Saying ‘Lord, Lord!” and doing a few religious things does not mean that people are “in the game” or “on the team.” And when the clock runs out and the game is finally over, instead of celebrating with the team, Coach Jesus will say to them: “Who are you? You’re not winners with my team. Get out of here!”

Ouch! That’s pretty harsh.

What happened? What might a player do to remove themself from the game and to disqualify themself from the team that Jesus is coaching?

1. A person might say, “I’ll follow what the coach says if I like the play.” But what if Jesus calls another play? A hard play? A play they don’t like? This is where many of us who claim to follow Jesus fail to follow through. As long as the game and the plays are going our way, to our satisfaction, for our benefit, we’re committed. But when things get tough or frustrating, when it’s not easy or fun anymore, or when there’s struggle and conflict involved, many of us back off, let down, make excuses, criticize the game and the coach, even leave the field and the game. Or we start a new game, one where we call the shots, make up the rules, manipulate the outcome, do what’s more fun and personally appealing to us, and since it has the appearance of being the same game as the one we left, we foolishly believe we’re in the competition. Again, Matthew 7:23 spells it out plainly. Jesus says: “I never knew you. Away from me!”

2. Another attitude that shows a person is not on the team is when they ask: “What am I getting out of this?” Richard said this is especially true of American Christians, because we tend to make everything related to faith “all about ME!” You know what I’m talkin’ about! You hear it all the time: “I’m not being fed.” “I want something more spiritual.” “It didn’t inspire me.” “It’s not my kind of music-message-style-worship space-presentation (fill in the blank...)” “The service is too early-too late-too long-too boring (fill in the blank...)”. “That meeting-program-event-activity-service (fill in the blank...) isn’t convenient for me.” Underlying all of this self-centeredness are a number of assumptions: a sense of pride (“I do the right things and don’t do the wrong things”), which breeds a sense of entitlement (“I deserve certain “perks” because I’m a good Christian-good church member-committed-faithful”), a sense of self assurance (“I’ve got things organized, have the anwers, and know what’s best”), and even a sense of control--to the point where people say: “I’m not getting much here, so I’m leaving!”

Clearly, these attitudes demonstrate that a person is not on the team, because the only consideration the person has is for themself, not for the good of the team. And they certainly are not taking direction from their coach, Jesus. The Message puts it this way: “All you did was use me to make yourself important.” (Matt. 7:23) Certainly not something a team player wants to hear--and would never even consider!


3. One more attitude that shows a person is not on the team is this: “I’m in the game--as long as it doesn’t cost me anything!” There is a quick, pointed response to a person who takes this position. It comes in the words of Coach Jesus himself:

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:34)

If you are going to be a player on the team that Jesus is coaching, you must be willing to give up everything for the good of the team. Your life is not your own anymore, and it never will be again. "You were bought with a price” (I Corinthians 6:20)--by the Coach Himself! You owe Him your total allegiance and commitment, and must be willing to do whatever He says and go wherever He commands, despite your personal preferences, concerns, apprehensions, doubts, desires, etc. Jesus expects your full cooperation and willingness to respond to His direction. You must submit to Him completely. This is the only way you can be on His team.


Many Christians make excuses for their poor performance in the game and try to justify their attitudes and actions: “I said the ‘sinner’s prayer! I ‘went forward’ and gave my life to Jesus! We’re saved by faith and not by works, so I’m good to go!”

But again, from The Message, Jesus says this: “Knowing the correct password...isn’t going to get you anywhere with me.” (Matt. 7:21)

The words of Jesus ring out: “I never knew you. Away from me!” It is “not he who says...but he who DOES the will of my Father!”

This question, “Are you on the team?”, was as difficult for me to hear as the one the day before. It made me think long and hard about whether or not I’m a good team member and following through with the plays Coach Jesus has for me to execute in the global game of spreading the gospel. I know that in my heart of hearts I want to be a vital member of the team! I try to follow what the coach is telling me, even when it stretches me beyond what I think I can do, or what I think is fair, or when the plays don’t seem to fit the game that I’ve been trained for up until now.


This last point is, I believe, the situation most of us are facing today. It is extremely difficult for us who have been team members for many years to stay the course and obey our coach when the game plan switches, especially the way it is being formulated today. Our team seemed to be doing so well before, in the past! Every player knew their part, what to do, where to go, how the plays worked. Doggone it, why is Jesus switching it up now? We were comfortable with the game before! Everything made sense to us. Everyone knew the code words, the game book, the runs and the passes and the customary ways to move the ball around the field. The new plays that Coach Jesus is calling, in order to spread the gospel these days, make us uncomfortable. They don’t make sense now. The language, the instructions, and the methods seem strange, ineffective, even wrong!

I like the old ways of playing the game! I like the old words and phrases and plans and actions! I want to do everything so it’s comfortable and meaningful to me again! The way the game is supposed to be played. Let’s just do what we’ve always done harder-stronger-louder-flashier..that’s all we need to do! Let’s just tweak those good old plays that we already know, just a bit...they’ll work just fine!

But Coach Jesus says “NO!” The GAME is the same, but now the PLAYS must be adapted in order to be effective in the world today. “My ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

Will we trust our coach, submit to Him and to His will, His way, His game plan? Will we discipline ourselves to learn the new game scenario, the new, more effective and relevant strategies for playing the game, and train ourselves so we can be competitive members on God’s team today? Better equipped to be His witnesses in all the world and to effectively spread His “good news” to every corner of the playing field that is our world?

Next week: “Are You In Shape?”

“ARE YOU IN THE GAME?”

It’s been a long time since my last blog post, I know, but being gone on the Mexico mission trip for a week and then dealing with a load of church business when I got home, I simply haven’t had time to put anything together.

Now I’m excited to get back into it though. And our speaker at YUGO this year has given me some great material to delve into for my next four posts!


Richard Sharp, from “Operation Mobilization,” inspired us each morning at chapel with the topic of bringing the gospel to the whole world, using soccer/the soccer field as the analogy to get his message across (so very appropriate, with the World Cup happening...). With his charming British accent, engaging smile, and relational style, Richard hit us hard each day with challenges that were relevant, biblical, pointed, and practical. I’ll try to be as faithful as possible to his well-crafted presentations.

First of all, every day as he began his teaching time with our mission team (we were the ONLY group at the YUGO camp this year - too many churches afraid to send teams because of the media’s hype about gang and drug violence), Richard tossed a soccer ball randomly to people while asking the question of the day.


He expected an honest answer too! So on the first day, he asked this of us: “Are you in the game?” How would you respond? That’s what we heard, without yet knowing the context of the question nor the theme of the week. We were definitely intrigued!

Before delving into his topic, Richard first did some other reflective work with us on that first day. He asked us to write down what our biggest hope and our biggest fear were for the week of ministry that lay ahead of us. This made us put all of our cards on the table, right from the start; what we were thinking, concerned about, preoccupied with. We shared our answers with the group, and the results were very insightful. From there, Richard reminded us about our role as “evangelists” in the coming week, and the picture he drew formed (what else?) a cross. The horizontal part represented “making friends.” The vertical part represented “introducing our best friend, Jesus, to our friends.” Where the two come together is the “sweet spot,” where the connection is made and our friends also encounter our best friend and want to join in our camaraderie with Jesus too.

Then Richard went into the main focus of the day which, again was: “Are you in the game?” He talked a bit about soccer, and then he drew a large soccer field on the board.


Next, he read Acts 1:8 to us:

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Richard said that this is God’s “game plan” for His Church, and that the soccer ball is “the gospel.” Back on the board, he described how the goal area is like the local congregation (Hilmar Covenant Church), the penalty area is like the nation (the United States), the half of the field on the side of the defending team is like the regional area (Canada & Mexico; nations around us), and the far half of the field is the entire globe (the whole world). Comparing this to what we read in Acts, Hilmar Covenant = Jerusalem, the United States = Judea, the nations around us = Samaria (and like the Jews in Jesus’ day, many Americans don’t much like “those people!”), and the global world = the ends of the earth. Culturally speaking, the local and national areas have the same culture, the regional areas have a similar culture, but the global world areas have a separate culture.

God’s game plan is that we, His people--His players--are to GO to ALL of these areas and cultures! The gospel is to go everywhere - to every part of the world, just as in the game of soccer, the soccer ball goes everywhere on the soccer field. So when Richard asked us “Are you in the game?” he was trying to find out if we are fully engaged in the game that God wants us to play; fully obedient to what God desires and expects from us.


He pointed out that most churches only stay in the goal area, self-absorbed and comfortable in their own little home territory, never stepping out and getting into the game at all. Some churches do go farther and get involved in spreading the gospel beyond their local congregation, which is better, but it is still quite easy and, again, is not really playing the game at all. A few churches step out into the more uncomfortable and challenging regional areas and seek to reach people who are different and who require certain sensitivities and different approaches in order for the gospel to impact them. However, this still takes place in only part of the world - on just one half of the soccer field.

In order to play the game of soccer though, you must play on the entire field! And in order to be fully in God’s “game” of bringing the gospel to every tribe and tongue and nation, we must go all the way, everywhere, “to the ends of the earth!”

Richard underscored this by showing how the book of Acts itself describes the progression of the gospel message (which was intended by God to continue for all time). Acts 1-7 describes the gospel being proclaimed locally and nationally (Jerusalem and Judea). Acts 8 and 10 show the gospel moving out into a wider region (Samaria, Ethiopian eunuch, Roman centurion Cornelius). Finally, in Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas set off to take the gospel to the then-known world.

This presentation was deeply convicting to me, and it had a strong impact on the rest of our mission team too. I reflected on the ways I am “in the game”--and the many ways I am not participating fully in it. Now, it’s true that I’m a total failure at soccer! My interest, skills, techniques, understanding of the game, and commitment to it are nil. I’m definitely not “in the game” of soccer. But I am a Christian! And for us who are, the gospel is the core of who we are! As essential and as indispensible as the soccer ball is to soccer. If we claim to follow Christ - if we claim to be soccer players - then we must have great facility, familiarity, appreciation, and experience with what is necessary to be “in the game” (i.e. the gospel - the soccer ball). If we aren’t thoroughly familiar with them, comfortable with them, skilled with them, or if we utilize them poorly, we will be ineffective participants “in the game,” whether it is the Christian life or soccer itself.

It won’t be easy. Jesus never said that it would be, and soccer coaches guarantee that to be a great player it is going to be mighty tough, in every way (physically, emotionally, mentally). Perhaps that’s why there are so many lukewarm Christians and mediocre soccer players! When the demands of these “games” get more intense, most of us tend to pull back, ease up, and ultimately step out of the game, becoming “armchair experts” instead! Thinking we know all about the game and how it should be played, but not actually particpating in it, only watching from the sidelines.

Richard talked about how, in our Christian lives, we tend to want an “out” when things get uncomfortable, unfamiliar, tough, and tragic. But God never said He would take us out of the hard difficulties that we face in life. Instead, God says: “I will take you through this!” To do so, we are made “FIT” to handle the process: F = FOR you (God says He is always for us), I = IN you (God says He dwells within us, through His Holy Spirit), and T = THROUGH you (God will triumph over the difficulties through us). Our attitude, then, needs to always be a “FIT” one so we can be fully engaged “in the game” and be ready for whatever comes our way.


I hope you’ll spend some time this week chewing over these concepts and applying them to yourself. Again, how would you answer the question: “Are you in the game?” Can you say, as we were asked to do at YUGO: “Lord, have your way in me.”

Next week: “Are you on the team?”