I read a story about a high school coach who had his football team attend a band competition in their jerseys, telling them that just as the band supported them on Friday nights, the team needed to support the band at their “game” on Saturday morning. This support showed that the band was an important, integral part of the school’s overall program and expressed that they were all one team.
There is an interesting story in the book of Mark. John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say anything bad about me. For whoever is not against us is for us (Mark 9:38-40 NET).
We find John and the other disciples trying to stop a man from casting demons. Somehow at this point they decided that he was somehow not doing the right thing because he wasn’t doing it the way that they thought that he should. Ignoring the fact that he was casting out demons (plural). That he was actively engaged in delivering someone from the enemy. That he was doing all of this in Jesus’ name. All of this was irrelevant because he wasn’t following them or the way that they thought that it should be. Obviously Jesus explains it to them and helps them understand that whoever is not against us is for us. Jesus was trying to help them understand that we are one team, we are one body.
I was in conversation with a Pastor once. We had been talking about a myriad of things and soul winning came up. He said this powerful statement. “If God decided to send revival to the church right down the road then that’s perfectly fine. It’s about winning souls, it’s about growing the church body and not just growing this church body.”
It says in 1 Corinthians 12:27 (WEB) Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. Then in verse 28 it gives a list of positions or things people are called to do. Apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, gifts of healings, helps, governments, etc. Although some of these may intertwine or cross over each other there may be some that are used in one area. Did you notice the ministry of helps? Just somebody that helps listed right there with the others. That is significant in making the point that we are all one body and that we should support each other and each other’s ministry.
The point is that we are all working together. We should never be guilty of tearing each other down or discouraging one another. Rather we should say that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers (Ephesians 4:29 KJV).
We are one team, no matter how small we think that our contribution may be. We are all working toward the same goal. All of our ministries may not be the same. You may be an evangelist, pastor, teacher, janitor, door greater, etc. You may have a small church or a big church. You may talk differently, act differently and reach souls differently. We are still one team and we need to support one another. We are all trying to reach souls. If you reach 1 and your neighbor reaches 100, rejoice with each other and encourage each other. Remember that we are one team and we should root each other on.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 NET Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing.