A newspaper photographer wanted to get pictures of a fire, so his newspaper company agreed to charter a plane for him. When he arrived at the airport, he jumped into the plane and yelled, “Take off!” Once in the air, the photographer yelled to the pilot to make two or three low passes over the fire. The pilot asked, “Why do you want me to do that?” The photographer proudly replied in an overconfident voice, “Because I’m a photojournalist and I need to take pictures of the fire. Get me as close as you can!” To which the pilot answered in a very shaky voice, “You mean you’re not the flight instructor?”  The photographer and the student pilot made one too many assumptions and they both had some unmet expectations. Moreover, one thing we can say for sure is that they did not demonstrate teamwork. As a result, there was neither an expected photograph nor a confident flight for lack of understanding and coordination. However, just think if there was a well orchestrated and cooperative effort, the result would have been so different.

The same principle applies to the church. As you read the Book of Acts, you cannot fail to see the teamwork within the early church and all this despite the many oppositions and hurdles. Although two central characters are evident in the Book of Acts, the church was more than Peter and Paul. It had everything to do with the Holy Spirit who was the Head Coach and He never expected any individual Christian to go at it alone. Everyone has an important part to play, however insignificant the part may appear to be. Every football fan knows the importance of good blocking. It is not enough to have star running backs or receivers. Without solid blocking, those backs and receivers will seldom score. They will be stymied on every play.  The church is made up of a conglomeration of people with diverse gifting and yet no one is expected to do it alone. They need faithful blockers as much as receivers. We find the same when it comes to a relay race. Though the Christian life may be a marathon and/or even a sprint, all of us should be part of the whole team.

The church is a family or a team if you please. Our collective total is greater than the sum of our parts; and our diversity compliments and completes us as a whole. The Devil's strategy is to divide and conquer. The Lord’s desire is that we might be “one... that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me."  (John 17:21). The unity of the church is an important part of what the gospel is. The apostle Paul admonishes the church in Ephesians 4:3 “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”.  As members of the greatest team ever put together, we must not only learn to get along with each other, we must actually become one. Though we are not the same, we must be complimentary and supportive of the whole body and complete what the Lord began at Pentecost.