It’s that time of year when I get excited to watch football. I watch it at every level. I like to watch high school football games from the stands, and college and professional games on TV. Of all the team sports, football proves to be the most challenging.

Part of the challenge is being part of the team. Some schools or professional clubs can have all the talent in the world, but they never seem to mesh together to become a team. Look at what happened to my Browns this past Sunday. When you are playing for the name on the back of the jersey instead of the name on the front of the jersey, things can get bad right away.

Another part of the challenge is to know your role and to do it. “Do your job” is a constantly preached slogan by Coach Belichick of the New England Patriots. When things are tight, players have a tendency to think they have to compensate for others, and so they forget their job and compound the problem. If everyone just remembers to do their job, things work out better.

Why do I say all this? Because it teaches us a lesson on team work in the Church. We need the involvement of every member of the Church to be what God wants us to be. If we think the worship and work of the Church is just for the talented and the more experienced, or if we think we have do it all ourselves, then we miss out on team work.

The early Church enjoyed the benefit of complete commitment on the part of all the members, leaders and followers alike. They “continued steadfastly . . .” – Acts 2:42. They had a daily devotion and dedication to the Lord and His people – Acts 2:46; 5:42. They “were of one heart and one soul.” – Acts 4:32. It isn’t surprising then, that they had success, spiritually and numerically.

The apostle Paul taught the Ephesians that as they were joined to Christ, “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes the growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” – Ephesians 4:16.

We can tell ourselves that we are a good congregation, but if we aren’t committed personally to worship, Bible study, and service, then we are part of the problem. Are you part of the team?

Bruce