ICS Daily Devotions
Leadership and Teamwork
No man lives for himself. No man is an island – especially a spiritual man.
Teams are found in numerous places in the Bible. Moses had his seventy elders. Gideon had his 300 men. David had his warriors. Jesus had his twelve disciples but also sent out the disciples two by two. Paul had his co-workers.
What is a team? A team is a group of people who have come together, forming a deeper relationship for a common purpose/goal. They have devoted themselves both to the purpose and to one another in a personal and working relationship.
The effectiveness of a team is tremendous, and the dynamics very strong.
Jesus and Paul are good examples of how team work functions. It is a teacher/student relationship. A team MUST have a leader, otherwise, it will just dangle in the air or be inefficient. The leader needs to take responsibility as a teacher of the group. He does not need to be the best at everything but must definitely be the one who teaches and trains.
The team leader knows where the group is heading and what it should do – when, how, with whom and why. This leadership must always be executed responsibly, creating a constructive and productive atmosphere. Thus, the teaching and leadership role is important, but it is also necessary for a genuine friendship to develop within the team, in which each one relates and gradually opens up to the others. It is not a question of one- way communication. The group provides protection and mutual edification. Therefore, it is the members’ responsibility to help and exhort each other, not to criticize or show disdain towards the other team members.
Jesus didn’t have a perfect team. He recruited different types of people from different backgrounds and professions. These people would never have chosen to live together if they were given a choice. Jesus put them together. In this way they could complement each other, influence and polish each other and change and mature through one another.
Jesus trained them by throwing them into different situations, to preach, to heal, to cast out demons. No doubt they felt his care and love because he continually looked after them. He even washed their feet, prayed for them and sent them out after his resurrection. He promised to be with them until the end of the age.
The world had never seen anything so intimate, so radical and so effective as that which Jesus did with and through His disciples. There was tremendous power and potential in such a team.
Philippians 2:19-23 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state…Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me.
The gratitude, respect and pride Paul felt for his co-worker , Timothy was apparent. The work would go on because everything did not solely depend on Paul. Timothy was committed. He was unselfish and trained both in spiritual gifts and in character. Paul spoke fondly of his co-workers who earnestly followed him and gave their lives to stand together with him through every challenge and difficulty.
Sermon Series: Leadership and Teamwork
