"Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them." -Acts 4:32-33
NASCAR racing isn’t necessarily thought of as a team sport by most people. But ask any driver and he will tell you that without a good pit crew, his chances of winning are slim.
Jeff Gordon credited his team for putting him in a position to win the 2005 Daytona 500, which he did by holding off Kurt Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. over the last two laps. “I knew over 500 miles, with that pit crew, that team, that hopefully some patience would pay off there at the end.”
The FCA Competitor’s Creed states that “I am a member of Team Jesus Christ.” So what is it that constitutes membership on Jesus’ team? I believe that we can learn some valuable insights from the Early Church in Acts. First of all, they had at their core the common bond of faith in Jesus Christ as His purposes. Second, they were obedient to Jesus’ command to love one another sacrificially as He had loved them:
"I give you a new commandment: that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another" (John 13:34).
In sports, it is important that we have faith in our team and that everyone is on the same page regarding the team’s goals and objectives. We must also be willing to give sacrificially of ourselves for the good of the team. Applying these principles will help us maximize the team’s ultimate effectiveness.
1. What is the best team that you have ever been on? What were the key characteristics of this team?
2. How do these key characteristics apply to membership on Team Jesus Christ?
3. Are you a member of Team Jesus Christ? How do you know?
Luke 9:23; Acts 2:42-45; 1 John 3:14-23
Lord, thank You for sacrificing Your Son and inviting me to be a member of Your team. I pray that You would help me have a sacrificial love for those on my team and those on Your team in a way that points people to You. Amen.