Philippians 1:27-30 How to be a Winning Team June 25, 2017 Before the sermon started a video was shared of Sara Jordan member of Zion UMC and first baseman for the Juda-Albany Lady Panthers. The video can be seen on Facebook, but the following is a transcript of what Sara said in it. Sara: Hi. I m Sara Jordan first baseman for the Juda Albany Softball team. So, I have been playing softball, since I was little. I started out with t-ball, then a little softball here and there, middle school softball and high school soft ball. It s pretty much been as a team. Pastor Vicki: How important is your coach? Sara: Bill Davis is our coach for the Juda Albany Softball team. He is the back bone for our team, a big supporter. He helps us when we re down, he pushes us harder, he is just a great help. He gives us signs when we are batting whether to bunt or steal base and he s just a good help. He gives us speeches before the game to get us hyped up. And after the game he tells us what we need to improve on. All the things we did good and just gets us ready for the next game. And he is really just a good supporter. Pastor Vicki: How important is the team? Sara: Softball is definitely a team sport. We wouldn t be where we are without every player on the team. Like, for instance, Nicky, if we didn t have a good solid pitcher, we wouldn t have gotten that far. We definitely all support her and when she strikes someone out, we are all up there getting excited, giving her high fives. And without her we wouldn t be where we are. For instance, my part, I play first base, and we have to have good throws and even if they don t have good throws, we re going to help pick each other up, get each other back in the focus mode and get back on each other. Pastor Vicki: Any other ways you work as a team? Sara: another way we show teamwork is if someone bunts like if were on offence and we bunt, it s not just because we want to get a hit. It s because we want to move the runner and advance the runner to the next base. Pastor Vicki: how about that last inning? Sara: So, the last inning of the softball game, that was a really long, exhausting inning. We had a lot of bad throws, miscommunication, and for instance we had an overthrow at third. At first base I went to cover a bunt and our second baseman didn t cover but through it all we came back and redeemed ourselves. I think with two outs left, coach Davis, he took a time out; brought us back to the middle; had us take a deep breath to regain our focus; encouraged us and we encouraged each other, that all we need is one more and the game is over and then the third baseman got that grounder had the perfect throw to first base and she redeemed herself and it was an exciting victory. Yes, that is a winning team, and for we who love Jesus Christ, we want to be that winning team too. But sometimes egos get in the way; sometimes there is miscommunication; sometimes we drop the ball; which is why as I watched the Lady Panthers play that fateful Saturday I identified three elements the Lady Panthers have that we as a church also have. We have a team of players who have specialized positions but we have a head coach who helps keep us on the winning
track and we have an assistant coach who assists the head coach in building and implementing the winning vision. For the Lady Panthers, the winning vision was to win the state championship. For we as disciples of Jesus Christ, the winning vision is to bring God s kingdom into its fullness on earth as it is in heaven. So, who is our head coach? Well, the apostle Paul often refers to the church as the body of Christ, especially in 1 Corinthians 12, which I encourage you to read. In Colossians, when he speaks of the supremacy of Christ he notes that, [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church; (Colossians 1:18a) But Paul also uses athletic language to relate to our faith journey. Since the first softball game wasn t played until November 24, 1887 in Chicago Illinois, he wouldn t have seen the correlation between the church and a softball team but I did. So, if we understand Christ as our redeemer to be every bit as much God as Creator and Sustainer, then God, our triune God, must be our head coach. As head coach, God does much of what Bill Davis does, sending signals that guide us what to do and what not to do. Sometimes we are given the sign to stay on base, sometimes we are given the sign to keep on a runnin. Sometimes we must bunt, knowing that more than likely we will be the one who gets tagged out, but as Sara says it is for the purpose of getting another player to another base. God is building a winning team in us. God has a broader view of what is going on in the game. God knows what you can do, and he also knows what is best left for someone else. So, to be a winning team, ultimately we must all look to our head coach to give us direction on each play. Even the assistant coach looks to the head coach for direction, more on the assistant coach later, but for now, let s focus on the main body of the team. In today s scripture, Paul gives us further information on how to be a winning team, where he writes, Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear that you stand firm in one spirit with one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel. (27) Behind the phrase, manner of life, is the Greek word polite-ee-use-thee politeusthe it s where we get the word political. The Jerusalem Bible translates it as civic life. The phrase means, Let your public life be worthy of the gospel. Axios is the Greek word for worthy. In classical Greek, this is the word for equilibrium or balance or congruence so perhaps a better way of saying it is, Let your life be congruent with the gospel. In other words, live with integrity. Notice he doesn t say, Let your life be perfect, instead he says, Let your life be congruent with the gospel. My understanding of the gospel, in a nutshell, is that I know I m a sinner, however, I also know God s grace. Knowing I m a sinner makes me realistic, and knowing about the good news of Christ s love? That gives me hope. And we are not alone in that hope, we have each other, we are a team. Paul instructs the Philippians to be striving side by side for the faith of the gospel. This phrase, striving side by side, is an athletic image. In fact, the Greek word here is a two-part word: sun, meaning with, and athleo, meaning compete, so we compete side by side. Paul wants them to be fellow competitors to be teammates and we become good teammates by striving side by side. Paul later adds deferring to one another. In the second chapter of Philippians, Paul maintains his teammate theme. Complete my joy by being of the same mind (2:2) The phrase of the same mind could be translated, of the same perspective or the same outlook on life. Paul continues, Do nothing from selfishness or conceit,
but in humility count others better than yourself. Let each of you look not only to your own interests but also the interests of others. (2:3-4) He s talking about what it means to be a team player There is a unity of perspective When we all have the same mind, the same outlook, the same vision, something good happens What gives great renewal movements their strength, is the shared vision. It happens when there is something you want to see happen, and you re working together at it. But there is also the ability to see the interests of fellow teammates over and against what Paul calls conceit. A truly great athlete, is not only able to not play their position well, but is also willing to be a team player, one who cares about setting up the next play for another, someone willing to bunt to give a runner another base. That isn t always easy, to do nothing from selfishness or conceit but in humility count others better than yourself. We have trouble swallowing that statement, but it is largely because Paul uses first-century language, that every first-century Greek reader would understand. We aren t in the first-century and we are not Greek. So, it s important to understand the key in this verse is the word, better. The phrase really means, Defer to others and give them a better place. It doesn t mean that you should treat yourself as a worm, or as a person with no value, who sees others as more valuable and more important. As Sara said, each player has their part on the team. But just as there are times a second baseman must step away from their post to support the first baseman who left hers, we too must sometimes defer to others in order to give them a better place. We do this trusting that ultimately the greater goal, winning the championship as a team, is achieved. This concept translates not only to individual members of the church, but also the groups within it. This means the trustees not only care about the building, they care about the outreach programs like Family Promise or Loaves and Fishes. It means the choir not only cares about music, they care about Sunday School and finance. It means Christian Education not only cares about the students, they care about worship and Staff Parish. The more the various positions (whether as individuals or as groups and committees), learn to work as a team, the more effective we become as a whole winning souls for Jesus Christ. So, the head coach is vital as Sara said it, the backbone of the team. But the coach can t be a team by himself. He needs team players but he also has the help of an assistant coach, to help cast the vision, and implement the plan to win. That is what Paul was, an assistant coach. I ve been your assistant coach for the last six years. I m not going to prison but I am going away. More than likely you all have varying degrees of acceptance of that. As for me I am confident you will continue to grow and sow. I have this confidence, in part, because I ve met with your next assistant coach, Pastor Kelly. I believe she is a good fit. But the greater reasoning for my confidence is my confidence in you. I have seen what you can do, and you will continue to do it. And I believe in you largely, because your head coach isn t going anywhere. Remember it is your head coach, God, who casts the vision and signals the strategy. So, I have to believe as Paul did, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6) So, get out there and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of our coach the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and teach them all that Jesus commanded them and remember, our coach said he would always be with us to the end of the age. So Play Ball! Let s pray.
The apostle Paul often used athletic terminology to illustrate our life in faith. Had softball been around in the first century, perhaps he would have likened the church to a softball team, rather than the body of Christ; with Jesus as head coach. No matter what we are going through, we must empower one another to do our best, learn from our mistakes and we ALWAYS look to our head coach for reassurance and guidance. The Anatomy of the Team Head Coach [Christ] himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; 1 Colossians 17-18a Teammates Assistant Coach NO PLACE FOR ISLANDS By Chuck Swindoll Nobody is a whole chain. Each one is a link. But take away one link and the chain is broken. Nobody is a whole team. Each one is a player. But take away one player and the game is forfeited. Nobody is a whole orchestra. Each one is a musician. But take away one musician and the symphony is incomplete. Nobody is a whole play. Each one is an actor. But take away one actor and the performance suffers. Nobody is a whole hospital. Each one is a part of the staff. But take away one person and it isn t long before the patient can tell.
Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel Philippians 1:27 NEXT STEPS I will memorize Philippians 1:27 I will read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 I will continue to work as a team for Christ. I will continue attending worship and welcome our new Assistant Coach, Pastor Kelly Jahn and her husband Bill