by Seth Springs
WATERFORD, MI – I find an odd joy in cheesy clichés. Without cheesy clichés, how would we know what to do “when life gives us lemons?” How would we relax without someone telling us to “let our hair down?” How would we accomplish anything without knowing “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take?” It would surely be an “uphill battle.” But, there is one cheesy cliché that I’m finding to be deeply biblical and accurate when used to describe fruitful Christian community:
“Teamwork makes the dream work.”
I’ve heard it and you’ve heard it. But, our little league coach wasn’t the first to say it. Listen to what King Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 4:9…
“Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts.”
According to God’s Word, teamwork really does make the dreamwork. And, this is bigger than a little league baseball game. It’s bigger than the World Series. We’ve been invited onto the field of God’s mission, to make known the Good News about Jesus and to make disciples of all nations. (Mt. 28) Teamwork, or Kingdom Cooperation, is key to carrying out the Great Commission. This is why Jesus sent His disciples out in teams (Lk 10:1) and taught them to pray for more teammates (Lk 10:2). This is why Paul coached the Philippian church to play as a team saying, “make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.”(Phil 2:2) It’s a beautiful thing when the Church works together to see God glorified, disciples made, and lives transformed by the Gospel. Teamwork makes the dream work.
While unity is at a premium during this season, I’m amazed at how God is bringing together different people with different stories and situations to participate in His mission. Over the last few months, I’ve had the privilege of seeing a 35-year employee of General Motors use his first official day of retirement to serve at our totally free community car wash. At the same event, a young couple spent their anniversary loving neighbors in the name of Jesus. A police officer has come straight from his overnight shift to run our sound board on Sunday mornings. A young mom and others have spent time each week serving with a local community organization. Another young lady has currently leveraged her life to love a beautiful little boy through foster care. Retired teachers have used their time and resources to love and serve young families. A young man even moved from Alabama to be a part of a missionary team. And, don’t forget the normal, everyday people who have left church every Sunday to live as everyday missionaries all week long. Together as the local church, these people serve and sacrifice, give and go, so that lives will be transformed by the Gospel. This is more than a cheesy cliché. This is Kingdom Cooperation.
As I consider God’s Word and see others put in the work, I want to be on the team and in the game! I want to, along with these teammates, be a part of something bigger than myself, connecting people to Jesus and seeing lives transformed by the Gospel. The question is, do we believe that teamwork really makes the dream work? Will we team up with the local church and be a part of what God wants to do in our community?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Seth Springs serves in Waterford, MI with his wife Taylor and daughters Layla and Lily. Seth is a church planter and one of the pastors of Transformation Church Waterford.