Working together as One Body

^" For as in one body we have many members,^[a] and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. "  Romans 12:4-5 ESV


Like any business or organization, the body of Christ, the global church within its individual local assemblies have to work together in one accord to fulfill the purpose and vision of the church.  We are called to walk in holy fellowship together, breaking bread, sympathizing with, and serving each other until Jesus returns for His bride (the Church).    It baffles me when I see the lack of teamwork, lack of unity in the church. 

 Everyone wants to do their own thing, you see individuals in the church trying to hoard all the work; taking on many duties for the wrong reasons and you also see some that do not want to do anything, but come to church, sit in the pews, give their tithes and offering and leave.  They do this without even being concerned about what they are contributing to the house of God or the body of Christ aside from their financial gifts which we are encouraged in scripture to give. We can't stay idle, we have to keep busy working for the Lord until his return.  1 Corinthians 15:58  

 In the body of Christ, we are told in the above scripture that there are many members and we have been given diverse gifts and talents in order to use for service in the offices/positions we are to hold in the church.  Apostle Paul beautifully illustrates how various members of our human frame are all useful and honorable in their allocated place; all designed for a specific task, so the church is one body, consisting of many members, and each is suited to be useful and comely in its proper place.

Friends, regardless of what congregation you attend or denomination you belong to, all of us (believers) make up the global/universal church where Christ is the head and so no matter where you find yourself, be ready to work together with the brethren to fulfill the purpose of the church of Christ.  I encourage you today if you are not doing so, to find your place in the body of Christ and begin to utilize the gifts and skills you have been given to serve alongside other believers in your local assembly or in your community and the Lord will bless and strengthen you as you do. 

Team Work in The Body of Christ

The first teamwork was established by God, The Father, God, The Son, and God, The Holy Spirit at the beginning of creation.

 It states in Genesis 1: 26, "Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." Again Genesis 11:7 states, "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." The phrases in these two verses reveal a joint effort to accomplish a goal. 

Scripture tells us again in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, "Two are better than one Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. "

"This scripture depicts an excellent picture of teamwork and its benefits. God created Eve at some point in the creation story to be a helpmate and support for Adam, then becoming the first human team to work together, hence establishing the union of marriage Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5:31. Even though the word "teamwork does not appear in the bible, the word of God contains much information about working together in one accord.

Teamwork is evident in the societal structure of marriage, family, business, community, etc. The critical thing to understand is how to apply biblical principles of teamwork to your business, marriage, or ministry. As believers, we must first understand that to be a successful teammate or member in the body of Christ; you must first become a born-again Christian, accepting the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Your new identity in Christ then grants you automatic access to the family of God. When you surrender your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, you are a part of God's team, and then your assigned work in the group begins. On God's team, each person is given an assignment to complete, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, our director, guide, and teacher, each believer will be able to know their position or role. "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-12

When the whole team is working for God's glory, they are in one accord, and their primary purpose is to do the will of God. No one should have their own personal agenda because it will never end well. Everything should be done for the good of the team and the glory of God. If you look at the scriptures, you will observe that God's people worked in groups throughout biblical history, and there was also a leader who received directions from God to guide them. Examples: Noah & his family during the time of the flood; Abraham, leading his family and people to the land of promise, Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt to the land God had promised them; Jesus and the 12 disciples who later became the Apostles responsible for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. In our Christian faith, teamwork acknowledges the Lord God as the leader of the primary team (the body of Christ) and the sub-teams ( families, marriages, businesses, etc.) One major characteristic that will bring divine success in any team is LOVE., the love described in 1 Corinthians 13, and without this type of love (godly love), we cannot achieve divine success.  

Beloved, let us make an effort to be good, compassionate, and efficient team members in the body of Christ and in the individual sub-teams we are a part of, i.e., our homes, families, church family, businesses, communities, etc. Whatever your assignment is on the team, do it well so that it may please the Lord, and at the end of the day, He alone takes the glory.