Living God, we come to worship you, praising you for the past and trusting you for the future! We come today seeking to join our will to your will, to make your purpose, and your love our love. And above all, we come in the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

 

Again, good morning to you. I’m so glad you are here. If you are brand new with us, welcome to a congregation that has just spent 40 days in prayer. They have been 40 days of learning and listening to the Spirit of the Living God, and 40 days of community of trying to deepen our sense of being a church family.

 

It has been a wonderful adventure for those who have participated, because, I believe, we have grown spiritually together. That’s the key thing. We have grown together. There has been growth in our awareness of what the Living Spirit wants us to do next. More importantly, I think, even than that, is that we are better together than we are by ourselves.

 

Today I would like for us to focus on looking at serving others together.  All three of those words are important: “serving others together.” Now, I think it is clear to anybody who even has an elementary knowledge of faith and life that the Creator of all that is did not put any of us on this earth to live a selfish life. 

 

God did not give you your life to take up space, to eat, breathe, consume, and have as much fun as possible, and then to die. The Creator, we believe, gave all of us life to make this world a better place to live – better than when we found it. Indeed, we believe, God wants, God desires, God intends for you to make a contribution with your life, regardless of who you are and where you are in the life span. In a sentence, from Scripture’s perspective, “God wants you to serve the Creator, Sustainer, Judge, and Redeemer of all that is.” 

 

How do you do that? There is only one way. The only way you can serve God is by serving others. You cannot serve God directly. No one can. The way we serve God is by serving others. Jesus made it clear: “The degree to which you do anything to one of the least of these, you do it unto me.” That’s how we serve God.

 

Any time you use your time, your talent, your energy, your resources, your background, what we call our spiritual gifts, here in this place, every time you use those you are serving others. We call that ministry. That’s what the Bible calls it. Contrary to some opinions, every single person here is a minister. Every single time you help another person, you are ministering to that person, by definition.

 

The point I want to make today is that in a culture where we have been very carefully taught to be Lone Rangers about so many things, the Scripture makes it clear that God wants us to serve others, not by ourselves, but rather as community. It matters that we serve others together.

 

There are three reasons.

 

Number One: We are family. I’m sorry. I know sometimes this is difficult to embrace, but God is your real Mother. God is your real Father. Those folks you have called your parents are the persons who have been entrusted with you. I am, in fact, your brother. Kim is your sister, and Jacob is the baby of the family – spoiled rotten. When I was his age, I never got to do the things he gets to do.

 

First Corinthians 3:9 says, “We work together as partners who belong to God.”

 

We work together as partners who belong to God, and that’s what makes us a family. In God’s family, God wants us to get along. Right? It’s hard to do in families, but that’s what God wants.

 

It took me a while to come to this, but I believe God is actually more interested in the relationships we would build with each other when we work together, and when we serve together, than God is interested in the product. It’s more important to God than even the service we do.

 

Habitat builds wonderful houses for people. Angel Food distributes affordable, quality nutrition. Woodhaven serves people with disabilities. All of that is wonderful. But it is the relationship we build when we serve together that I want to lift up today. I think that is why God wants us to serve together and not on our own. Do you see that? It’s because we are a family, and that’s so, so important. 

 

Number Two: Simply put, we need each other. Nobody has all the gifts. Nobody has all the talents. We’ve said this a hundred times. You do what I don’t do. I do some of the things you don’t do. That’s why we are called “a body.” We are a body together, called “the Body of Christ.”

 

Number Three: When we serve together, we get more things done. Have you noticed that? It’s just a fact. Teamwork multiplies effectiveness.

 

Putting on the Habitat for Humanity Garage Sale by yourself just isn’t going to get it done, folks. But when a ton of us get together, and work together, we see God using us in ways that ten years ago we never expected. It’s amazing.

 

That’s what I want to focus on today. I want to talk about teams and team building, because I think that is really what we are when we are a community. Whether it’s a team of just two, or whether it’s a team of eight that’s going to Beaumont, Texas in a week or so... Whether it’s those 50 young people and their sponsors who are going out this afternoon and do “Youth Make a Difference Day” in this community… Or whether it’s your small group of 12… Or whether it’s the Broadway Team of 500 plus… It doesn’t matter. Team is what I want us to focus on.

 

The truth is, we feel more alive when we’re part of a team. I believe that. We feel more alive when we’re doing something as a team that is really worthwhile. Teams cause us to get closer. We get more done when we work as a team. Oh, by the way, I think we also have a lot more fun.

 

What we are going to talk about today is what does it take to build a team?

 

Number One: Trust. I think that’s where it all starts. If you’re going to have a team, you have to have trust.

 

First Timothy 6:20 says, “Guard what has been entrusted to your care.”

 

Circle that word “entrusted.” How do you get people to trust you? There are three key ways.

 

Number One: Be consistent. Have you ever noticed people really hate surprises? Boy, I have! They hate surprises. We tend to trust people who are predictable. People want you to be predictable and consistent.

 

It starts with the small things. Do a good job in the little stuff. The big stuff comes along.

 

Luke 16:20says, “Whoever can be trusted with the little things can be trusted with a lot, with much.”

 

When George Garner and Jack Miles, both of whom are in this service today, started at Broadway, they were in their late twenties or early thirties. They were put in charge of some really big stuff – setting up chairs, cleaning up after a fellowship event. But you know what? They could be counted on to get the job done. In recent years, they’ve served God and you by being entrusted to lead and oversee the building of this sanctuary, the Youth Loft, the music center, the Christian Life Center, the administration wing, the courtyard, the Heather Lane project, and wherever it is you parked your car today. The reason is they were faithful in the little things. God said, “You can trust them with greater responsibility.” Why? Because they were consistent. That’s how you build the team: consistency.

 

Number Two: Be confidential. We build trust by being confidential. We trust people who keep confidences. We don’t trust people who don’t.

 

One of the rules in our small group, for instance, is what is said in group, stays in group. If that’s not the rule in yours, it needs to be. It’s not for anybody else’s ears. It’s confidential, and without it you cannot have trust.

 

Proverbs 11:13 says, “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.”

 

Folks, let me tell you something you probably already know. People who talk to you about other people, will also talk about you to other people. Just know that.

 

One of the most awesome ways we serve together here in this community of faith is a team effort called Stephen Ministers. Those folks serve God and you by being available and trained to walk along side anybody who is going through a difficult time. They do it in a caring, loving, Christian manner. It’s a tremendous gift. One of the key components, folks, in that relationship is confidentiality. Without it you cannot have trust.

 

Number Three:  Be close. The third way you earn somebody’s trust is by being close.

 

Proverbs 17:17 says, “Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.”

 

Circle: “stick together.” Distance creates distrust. Right? You don’t trust people you don’t know. If you want people to trust you, you have to spend time with them. You have to get closer to them. It takes time to build trust.

 

How long do you think it takes a congregation to trust – really trust – its new minister? How long does it take for a congregation to really trust its new minister to join with them and make significant changes? How long do you think it takes? Six months? Two years? Guess again. The research shows it takes six years before a congregation will actually trust a senior minister-leader to make significant changes in their lives. Did you know that? That’s fascinating.

 

Trust takes time. It doesn’t happen quickly. It can take years.

 

Number Two: Empathy. So, if trust is the very first thing that builds a team, the second key I want to lift up today is empathy.

 

First Peter 3:8 says, “Live in harmony with one another. Be sympathetic.” 

 

Folks, serving others is more than just working on a project together. OK? That’s my point. If you’re going to be a team, you must have empathy. You have to be aware of what’s going on with each other.

 

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another human being. How do you become an empathetic persons? There are three ways.

 

Number One: In today’s world, slow down. You and I live in a culture that’s teaching us to go faster and faster and faster. Almost all of us, consequently, are skimming relationships. Do you know what I’m talking about? We are hitting some of the high points, but we’re missing the details that make a difference with the people who love and care about us most.

 

James 1:19says, “Be quick to listen and slow to speak.”

 

That is an incredibly difficult truth to get our arms around, because, nowadays, everybody is running. They have their cell phones on. They’re grabbing a macho-combo-burrito or something. They’re wolfing it down on their way to some meeting somewhere. They’re talking on their phone. They’re text messaging. They’re making arrangements, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. They rush into a meeting…   No, no, no, no! 

 

We serve each other together best when we slow down, when we give people our undivided attention. Do you know what a gift that is today? That’s huge. It’s a huge gift.

 

Angel Food Distribution took place a week ago Saturday. It was pouring down rain, but our folks were there. They were there to do more than just box up food. They were empathetic. They were empathetic with more than 90 people who came through these church doors that morning. You could see it. You could feel it. There was a difference, even with the people who were total strangers, because people were really trying to be empathetic with every single person who walked in the door. You have to slow down to do that.

 

Number Two: Ask questions. The second way to be empathetic is to ask questions.

 

Proverbs 25 says, “A person’s thoughts are like water in a deep well, but someone with insight can draw them out.”

 

Circle: “draw them out.”

 

Now, you know this one. Like me, you encounter hundreds of people every week. I see half the church at Gerbes every week. We’re down the aisles, and I say, “Hi, Bartholomew. How are you doing?”

 

And Bartholomew gives the polite response. Right? What does he say? “Fine. I’m good.”

 

Now, if you really want to be empathetic, what do you say next? You ask the question again. “So, how are you really doing?” That gives the person permission. It sends a signal that says you really want to know. You really want to know beyond the surface. It’s OK to tell me that.

 

Then, what do you have to do after you ask that second question? This is the hard part. You have to stand there and listen. That’s excruciating for some of us. It’s like ants crawling down your back. But you can do it, if you hang in there.

 

It’s powerful to understand the feelings of another person. It’s a gift.

 

Number Three: Show emotion. That’s how you empathize with people.

 

Romans12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”

 

Rejoicing is fun, and we have celebrations all the time. They are draining some times. But let me tell you. By definition, some of the things we have to weep over are very draining. They are hard. They’re tough. They’re demanding. The only way, folks, that I know how to do that in a healthy way – and I believe it’s the way God wants us to – is that we have to stay filled up with Spirit of the Living God.

 

There are people trying to be empathetic to others, and they’re running on empty. They’re not doing a very good job. In fact, they’re getting sick, themselves. If you want to be empathetic and really help another person, keep your spiritual tank filled up. If you don’t, you can just kiss empathy good-bye.

 

Folks, one of the things that I love about what is happening with so many of our people who are getting involved in small groups – getting connected – is that the emotional needs of hundreds of our people are getting met. I know that is happening in those encounters. It would be simply impossible without that. Every week hundreds of our people are, literally, understanding and sharing what is often very deep and very important thoughts and feelings of other people. It is the key. It’s one of the huge keys. We need to affirm it.  It’s one of the key ways that we serve others together.

 

So, in developing a team, we build trust. We build empathy. There’s another.

 

Number Three: Accommodate. We accommodate: reach out, move over, make room.

 

Folks, one of the reasons any church is developing, and growing, and serving others, while other churches are not, is because of a willingness to unselfishly accommodate. It’s not the only reason, but it is one of the key reasons. Now, that’s hard.

 

Second Timothy 2:22 says, “Be faithful, loving, and easy to get along with.”

 

I love that translation. Now, there is a verse for your refrigerator this week. “Be easy to get along with.”

 

I didn’t say I want to know if you think you are easy to get along with. I want to know whether other people think you’re easy to get along with. That’s called “accommodation.”

 

Here are four important ways we can be of service and accommodate each other.

 

Number One: Accommodate each other’s needs.

 

Romans 15:2 says, “Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, ‘How can I help you?’”

 

Now, I know there are some people who hear that, and the first thing that is going through their minds is, “I don’t have the time. I don’t have the energy to even meet my own needs much less anybody else’s.”

 

You know what? You’re exactly right. You don’t, and you’re never going to have enough time and energy, because that’s not the way God wired us. You cannot meet all of your needs by yourself. It can’t be done. You’re not made that way. There are some needs that need to be gang tackled.

 

The great question in this verse is, “How can I help?” I want you to use that sentence. I want you to use that question this week. Just ask. “How can I help?” Then see what God does through that simple question and you this week.

 

Number Two: Accommodate each other’s ideas. 

 

Proverbs 18:15 says, “Intelligent people are always open to new ideas. In fact, they go out looking for them.” 

 

Why? New ideas lead to innovation. They lead to new methods, new ways of seeing things, new ways of doing things. When we do new things in new ways, we have an opportunity of making the lives of people in this world better.

 

Let me give you an illustration. It’s not going to happen if we aren’t open to new ideas. Pathways, the Christian education program for children in this church, is a whole new way of doing Sunday School.

 

I hated Sunday School when I was a kid, but I’m sitting in a church now, after 40 years of ordination, and I am actually seeing our children bringing parents to church. Isn’t that fantastic? The reason is because of Pathways. The reason is our kids don’t want to miss going to Sunday School. That is being open to new ideas.

 

Number Three: Accommodate each other’s personalities.  Now this is the hard one.

 

Romans 12:6 says, “God, in God’s kindness, gave each of us different gifts.”

 

Folks, it seems, as we’ve said a hundred times, that God likes variety. In fact, it seems that God likes variety more than we do. That is why diversity is such a big thing here at Broadway. 

 

We don’t have any creeds. We don’t have any doctrines. We don’t have any entrance exams, and we don’t want any. We’re OK with that. The reason is because we are all different, just the way God made us. It’s OK here. It’s not in other places, but it is here.

 

When you learn to actually accept, and appreciate, and enjoy each other’s differences, I believe we’re actually helping God change this world for the better. But it’s hard. We serve other people best when we accommodate and when we model diversity.

 

Number Four: Accommodate each other’s faults. 

 

Ephesians 4:2 says, “Be patient with each other. Make allowances for each other’s faults, because of your love.”

 

It doesn’t take long around here to know the honeymoon is over pretty quickly. It doesn’t take you long to be in this community of faith before you realize that everybody has faults. I have faults you don’t even want to know about, unless you’re a gossip. Then I have some new material for you.

 

If you are looking for perfection, you might want to go down the street, because you’re not going to find it here. We’re OK with that. Some people are into that, and that’s OK. That’s good. It’s a free country, but it doesn’t happen here. It’s not what we’re about. It’s not going to happen here. People here need to hear that if you’re going to be part of this community of faith, you need to choose to make allowances for each other’s faults. That is accommodation. It’s hard.

 

Now, the amazing thing is that when we do that – when we accommodate – that doesn’t make us weaker. What we have found is it actually makes us stronger, because we really need each other, and that really pays off.

 

So, trust, empathy, accommodation. There is one more.

 

Number Four: Mission. If you’re going to have a team, you must have a cause. You must have a purpose. You must have a reason. In short, you must have a mission.

 

Philippians 2:2 says, “Be of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.”

 

So, what’s our mission? That’s what we have been about for 40 days. It’s what we’re about for a while longer. We have so many options. The hard part is deciding where we are going to focus. What are we going to do next?

 

Let me offer you a thought. Broadway, in my opinion of 22 years, is a good church. Broadway is a friendly church. We’re a caring church. We’re an inclusive church. We are becoming a praying church. All of those things are strengths; every single one of them. But Broadway is not a great church.

 

In order to become a great church, I want to offer you this thought. It’s not mine, but I believe it. “A great church has a great commitment to the Great Commandment and to the Great Commission.” That’s what leads to greatness.

 

“A great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.” We’re going to talk about that on another day. Keep that focus, folks, and I believe our mission will become so clear. Keep that in mind, and we will become a team – a community of faith – that makes a profound difference that we haven’t even imagined yet.

 

In the meantime, listen to these words from Philippians: “Be of the same mind, maintain the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose, and live in a way that brings honor to the good news of Christ, standing strong in one purpose, working together as one for the faith of the gospel.”

 

Can you do that? Will you do that? I believe you can. I believe you will.

 

And all the people say… “Amen.”        

 

 

Oh, Lord, how can I help people see your face? Who do you want me to pray for? Show me today; lead me to the ones you can reach through me. Please show us how our church can serve you, how we can better organize ourselves to help you. Let us be a part of what you want to do next. Amen.