LFC is dreaming and teaming and growing for more.

The nice thing about teamwork is you always have others on your side.

Jesus never called us to go it alone and we are learning the value of teaming with others to not only get the job done – but to build valuable relationships. As we spoke on High Definition Relationships, this past Sunday we realized that when we serve together we grow in our relationships with one another. It is the original intention that Jesus had when he asked His disciples to serve together.

Jesus didn’t call just one disciple--he called a group of disciples. Just like He called each of us. He called Andrew and Peter together; he called James and John together. He developed a personal relationship with each one of them, but he also worked with them as a group. This wasn’t incidental, or merely for efficiency’s sake--it was a strategy He held dear. Jesus discipled them in the context of community. He taught them together, He prayed with them together, He sent them out two by two, He created group learning opportunities. Like a master coach, He developed them as individuals by forming them into a team. Nothing really has changed on this point. Although Jesus is not physically present today, He is present through his Holy Spirit who indwells us and as the Good Shepherd, He knows each of us by name and he calls and guides each one of us individually. He knows our gifts, talents, life experiences and how they play out in the context of our local church community. LFC is made up of disciples, those seeking, those wondering why they are here and those who are frustrated by churches they have been involved with in the past who would not release them into ministry. Yet, His call to all of us is to follow Him by living in vital community with other disciples. There are a host of metaphors in the New Testament to emphasize this feature of discipleship:

* We are the family of God, brothers and sisters who have the same Father and Teacher.
*We are the Temple of God--each of us living stones indwelt by God’s Spirit, but being built together by Him into a living building that manifests His presence.
*We are the Body of Christ--each of us like different members of our physical bodies, but interdependent upon one another as dependent on Jesus as the Head.
*We are the army of God--each of us soldiers with individual roles in the battle, but effective only as we fight in formation with other fellow-soldiers.

The bottom line is this. When you respond to Jesus’ call to be His disciple, He calls you into real community with other Christians. There are no exceptions to this rule. It is not possible for you to develop as a healthy and productive disciple of Jesus with only minimal and/or large meeting interaction with other disciples. Someone recently asked me “how they could best get to know people at LFC.” I said, “come and find a team, get to know some people of like-minded gifting and heart and come serve with them.” They simply said,” well I have other things to do.” See, I don’t fathom a better way to connect with others then to serve with them in whatever capacities and or giftings God has given to you. To say “I want to follow Jesus, but I can do alone is simply wrong. A huge amount of Jesus’ personal guidance, correction, encouragement, and character development is designed to come to you through the network of close Christian friendships He calls you to form. Discipleship involves embracing Jesus’ to influence others for his kingdom. But Jesus’ wanted his community of disciples to become ever-expanding. Jesus called his disciples into community with one another, but he also called them to influence others for Him.
Mark 1:17Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." (NIV)
The phrase “fish for people” does not mean that He would teach them how to manipulate people, or to treat them as sub-human objects, etc. It means that he would teach them how to do what He was doing--reaching out beyond Himself to gather more people into God’s kingdom, to build them up in God’s kingdom. Jesus called them to Himself to be with Him together--but he also sent them out to tell others. The first thing I think of when I think of fishing is the ability to be adaptable, flexible, creative and patient. Just as with catching real fish, we must catch people with these same qualities. And to be successful we need one another – it works best in teams.
Mark 3:14 He appointed twelve—designating them apostles - that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach. (NIV)
He called them into community to be with Him and with one another. But always his eye was on those outside their “walls”; always His heart of love went out beyond the reached to the unreached. He was clear on this from the start, and there was no give on this. What if Peter tried to get Jesus to become his full-time fish-finder so they could build a world-wide fishery empire? Jesus wasn’t there to fit into Peter’s plans to catch more fish--He was there to call Peter to fit into his plans to catch more people!This is the way it is with us. If you chose to follow Jesus as his disciple, he will call you to embrace his call to influence others for Him. (Read Matthew 28:19,20) This is the commission He has given His disciples--to go and make more disciples of Jesus by bringing them to faith in Christ and then by teaching them how to live for Him. Show them how to love Jesus, serve Jesus, enjoy being in Jesus.
1 Peter 2:9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (NIV)

God has chosen us – a royal priesthood – serving and doing ministry and belonging to God.
God brought us together, not just to enjoy ourselves, have celebrations, retreats and BBQs but so we can show others the goodness of God. How are you responding to Jesus’ call? Will you try to get Jesus to make you successful or to make your plans happen? Or will you abandon yourself to His purpose to influence others for Him? “We all have to make this choice. Someone has said: You decide to become a world-class Christian or you can be a worldly Christian. Worldly Christians look to God primarily for personal fulfillment. They are saved, but self-centered . . . Their prayers focus on their own needs, blessings, and happiness. It’s a me-first faith: How can God make my life more comfortable? They want to use God for their purposes instead of being used for his purposes. In contrast, world-class Christians know they are saved to serve and made for a mission. They are eager to receive a personal assignment and excited about the privilege of being used by God. World-class Christians are the only fully alive people on the planet. Their joy, confidence, and enthusiasm are contagious because they know they are making a difference. This is the type of Christian we are desiring to build up at LFC. The type who dreams with us – teams with us – lives our their God-given dreams and allows us to encourage and partner them so that they can be a disciple as Jesus commanded. It is adventurous – will you join in? Let’s wake up each morning expecting God to work through us in fresh ways. Let’s all be world-class Christians.