Football or Golf?

I want to say at the outset that this post is in response to a sermon I heard at Diamond Hill Baptist last night as my family and I worshiped with them.  Pastor Baldwin was preaching on what hinders revival, and he was going through 1 Corinthians 12.  During his sermon, he said something that stuck with me all night and even into this morning, which is why I am writing on it.

In our life, are we more like a golfer or a football team?  A golfer is a self-motivated person who is just one person playing against the rest of the field of other single golfers.  A football team is broken down into offense, defense, and special teams.  However, the entire team works towards the same goal, to make sure they score more points than the other team.  In 1 Corinthians 12:12-26, Paul is writing about the body of Christ and how it is to function.  While many in churches today say they are on the same team, it becomes more evident that there are more golfers than quarterbacks, running backs, offensive linemen, defensive lineman, or even kickers.  Not only do some individuals operate as though church is about them, but groups form of those individuals, and suddenly church becomes more about pleasing those people than glorifying God.  1 Corinthians 12:21 says, “And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.”  The truth is we need all people using their God-given spiritual gifts to bring glory to God and build up His kingdom.  Paul wrote in verse 14, “For the body is not one member, but many.”  When we begin to think that church is about “me” or making “me” happy or giving “me” what I need, then our focus has been taken off of God.  Therefore, God’s blessings will not flow through the church because the church was created by Him and for Him, as all other things were according to Colossians 1:16.  When the church becomes about “me” and the group of “me” what follows is inevitable and that is division in the church.  But Paul says in verse 25, “That there should be no schism (division) in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.”

If you or I or the churches we are a part of are going to be a part of accomplishing God’s will, then we must die to “I.”  We must trade in the golf clubs and the hat so everyone can see our face for shoulder pads and a helmet where no one sees us, but they see the team name.  Church cannot be about us or it is no longer a church, but rather a simple social club, and God desires so much more than that for us.

By His grace through His strength, may we live for Him!