UNITED IN MISSION
The Boys In The Boat is a recent movie based on Daniel James Brown’s book. It is the true story of a nine-man crew
team from the University of Washington that, despite long odds, made it to the
1936 Olympics in Berlin and became the improbable winners of the gold medal,
beating out Italy and Germany in a close race. Joe Rantz is the main character
in that movie.
The quote “A rising tide raises all
boats” from The Boys In The Boat perfectly encapsulates the essence of teamwork
and its transformative power. Like a tide that lifts all boats, individuals can
achieve remarkable feats when they work cohesively.
George Pocock (a boat builder and
advisor to Coach Ulbrickson) approaches Joe Rantz (the main character) to give
him some feedback about his rowing. Pocock explains to Joe how rowing well with
his crew is like being a part of a symphony, and Joe is just one musician.
Rather than focusing on rowing hard, Joe needed to focus on “how well
everything he did in the boat harmonized with what the other fellows were
doing.”
Pocock explained that doing this
required Joe to open his heart to his teammates and care about his crew. Pocock
recommended that Joe learn to like every man in his boat, and then he ended
with, “Joe, when you really start trusting those other boys, you will feel a
power at work within you that is far beyond anything you’ve ever imagined.
Sometimes, you will feel as if you
have rowed right off the planet and are rowing among the stars.” In essence, he
told him, “It’s about the boat, it’s not about you.[1] Some scriptural parallels can
be found in the passage we read. Like the nine boys in the boat, we are placed
in the Church. It is not about you and me but about God’s Kingdom and
fulfilling His Mission on the earth. We need to work together, not alone. Acts
4:32-36. What is God’s Mission?
I.
Understanding God’s Mission.
“For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 God’s Mission is to save sinners
through His Son’s obedient death on the Cross. Jesus went after the lost house
of Israel, preaching the good news, healing their diseases, and setting them free
from their bondage to sin and Satan.
After saving Zacchaeus, the tax
collector Jesus explains His Mission by saying,
“For
the Son of Man came to seek and save the Lost.” Luke 19:10. When the hour came
for Jesus to die on the Cross, he declared why He came into this World. “Now my soul is
troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was
for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” John
12:27-28. How did Jesus glory God the Father?
John 17:1-5, “After Jesus said this,
he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your
Son, that your Son may glorify you, for you granted him authority over all
people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now
this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you
gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I
had with you before the World began.”
After He rose from the dead on the
third day, He called His remaining eleven close disciples and entrusted them to
take the message of salvation to the ends of the earth. Mark 16:15, “Go into
all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
Matthew 28:18-20, “Then Jesus came
to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you
always, to the very end of the age.”
Deriving from these two passages, we
will discover God’s twofold Mission for the Church: First, “To preach the Good
News to all people, and to make disciples.” Making disciples involves teaching
them to obey everything Jesus commanded His early disciples to do.
If you follow Christ, God’s Mission
becomes your Mission. You have been attending Hope Church for a while and have
become a member. You may have noticed our Mission Statement, “Glorifying God by
becoming devoted followers of Christ.”
You are not here by accident.
Recognize that God has put us together in Hope Church to fulfill His Mission.
To preach the Good News and make disciples of all nations. Disciple-making
involves teaching them to obey the commands of Jesus. How can we accomplish
this Mission?
II.
United In Mission
How many people do we need at Hope
Church to accomplish this Mission? How much money does it cost? It requires all
the human resources and all the resources we can have. Having people and
financial resources doesn’t get the job done. It requires the Unity of Mind and
Purpose. We must be united. Only then can we go forward and fulfill our
Mission.
We must be United In Mission. Like the
boys in the boat, we must learn to like every man in Hope Church and start
trusting the other members and teammates. When we trust others and work with
them in unity, God will command a blessing over all that we do for His Kingdom.
It is not about you or about me. It is all about God’s Kingdom and fulfilling
His Mission.
How did the early Church understand
God’s Mission and achieve its fulfillment? The book of Acts gives us a
blueprint of the Church’s Mission on the earth. The Church began in prayer as
the Holy Spirit descended upon a small band of 120 followers of Christ. In a
single day, they grew up to be a Church of 3,000. The numbers are not what we
must focus on, but what caused the increase. Let’s look at a few things that
the early Church did.
Notice these words, “All and
Together, in Acts 2-4.” The early Church believers were devoted to the
Apostle’s teaching (discipleship), to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and
to prayer.” Acts 2:42. Vs. 44, “All the believers were together and had everything
in common.” Vs. 46, “They continued to meet in the temple courts daily. They
broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
Praising God and enjoying the people’s favor. And the Lord added to their
number daily those who were being saved.
In America, the Church adopted the
tactics of a business model. We focus on numbers and growth. God’s Mission for
us is not to grow the Church but to preach the Gospel’s good news and make
disciples of all nations. It calls for a unified effort, all the believers
everywhere working together to glorify the Father by preaching the good news
and making disciples.
At Hope Church, we must recognize
the need for unity and maintain it. Like in the passage we read, we want all
the Hope Church attendees and members to be in one heart and mind. It is not
about any of us, but it is about all of us working together for the sake of the
Kingdom. How does that practically work out at Hope Church?
We have various ministries in the
Church, namely: 1 Worship Team. 2. Discipleship Team. 3. Prayer Team. 4. The
Media Team. 5. The Missions. 6. The Hospitality. 7. Youth Ministry Team. 8. The
board: deacons, trustees, Clerk, moderator, treasurer, finance secretary. 9.
Pastor. We are also involved in both local and global Missions. When we are
United in Mission and serve the Lord with gladness as we work for Christ the
King, God will bless our efforts.
We pray for each other to succeed. We offer our help and support. We love and encourage one another. We combine our resources and talents for one common goal: to preach the Gospel and make Disciples of all nations. It is not your Church or my Church but the Lord’s. May God be glorified through our Unity and Love for one another.
