Rev.Dr.Jeffry David Camm

scriptures, but many do not fully understand their consequences, or their impact upon our lives.

“And in the same way – by our faith   The Holy Spirit helps us with our daily problems and in our praying. For we do not even know what we should pray for, nor how to pray as we should; but the Holy Spirit prays for us, with such feeling, that it cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows, of course, what the Spirit is saying, as He pleads for us in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into His plans. For from the very beginning God decided that those who came to Him – and all along He knew who would – should become like His Son, so that His Son would be the First, with many brothers.”

So what can we discern from this? God has a plan – a Divine Plan and we, who have been chosen, even before the beginning of the world, are part of that plan, and we have been chosen to be part of God’s team to implement that plan. So the challenge today is this: Do you know where and how you fit into God’s Divine Plan for the salvation of the world?

As you know, each member of a football team has a specific function to play at specific times in the game. God Almighty has got a team selected and ready to go into battle, to bring glory and honour to Jesus. Let us see if we can identify what those roles are in the spiritual realm.

God the Father is the referee. He makes the rules and both sides must abide by them. We know that Satan is the accuser of the brethren, and his goal is to take God’s word and reduce its impact upon the earth, and to take as many Christian players out of the game as he can. 

If he cannot remove them completely, he must reduce their effectiveness, by hampering their movement, or use of their gifts, by introducing sickness, doubt, division and fear into the team.

Now let us look at God’s team. Jesus is the Captain of this team and we know that He has already won the victory, but we have to prove that here on earth, on a daily basis, by not allowing Satan’s team to have any impact in our spiritual lives, and on the lives of those we come in contact with, or influence.

The pastor is the coach, who uses his Holy Spirit given gifts, to teach the team how to overcome the enemy and to encourage them to keep spiritually fit, and to attack the enemy on a daily basis.

We know that in playing Rugby League, (or Rugby Union) each person has specific roles to play, and at certain times in the game, set moves are put in play. 

When a scrum is called, the selected members take up their appointed positions. The 3 front rowers are the strong men who must use their physical strength to oppose the enemy, while the ball is raked to their back line, to be sent out along the back line to the wingers, who are the fast fleet-footed ones to take the ball to the opposing goal line and score.

But this movement cannot take place unless each member of the team is in his correct position, at the right time, so the ball can be passed out to the winger, whilst ensuring that the opposing team players do not intercept the ball, or tackle the player with the ball.

Now who are these players in the spiritual realm – in God’s team? We know from scripture that the singers go first. So, big surprise the singers in your worship team are the front row forwards, who use their spiritual muscle to withstand the enemy. The second rowers are the musicians, who are right behind, followed by the Intercessors, who are interceding for the spiritual word, so it can be given to the rest of the team. The team itself must be “standing in one accord”, because unity commands a blessing, and gives victory against the enemy.

ALL THIS IS FOR ONE PURPOSE; so that we can make “unbelievers” into “believers”, AND THEN, to teach them how to “become disciples”. So let me challenge all of you today. 

•    Stand up, if you have ever personally led a person to Jesus Christ?
•    Sit down if it was more than 10 years ago.
•    Sit down if it was more than 1 year ago.

The people, who did not stand up at all, are not even on God’s team. You may think you are, but your lack of spiritual fruit proves that you are not. 

You do not believe me? Then go and carefully please read John chapter 15, verse 17. God commands that we bear fruit and it must remain.

The people, who sat down after 10 years or one year, were on God’s team, but for some reason, Satan has tackled them and taken them out of the game. 

They can easily get back into the game, through repentance, and praying for the boldness, to serve the Lord again, with humbleness, because when we humble ourselves before the Lord, He will raise us up.

The people, who are still standing, are those who are still on God’s team right now. They are the only ones who are actively standing in the gap, on a daily basis, and serving the Lord, by obeying Jesus and implementing His great commission to see souls saved and added to the kingdom.

Some of you may be surprised by what I have said; others will be offended, fine. That does not matter to me in the least, because I was not raised up by God to run a happy family society, or a good feeling club. 

I was raised up by God Almighty to challenge Christians. I was raised up to make you realise, that if you are not doing what God has called you to do, to expand His kingdom, well then you are going to be held accountable by Jesus Christ. You are going to be held accountable for the Holy Spirit gifts, which have been given to each and every believer, when they repented, were baptised and received the Holy Spirit, as defined in Acts 2:38.

Whether the pastor has identified and nurtured these gifts in each believer, is what determines how good is the team, he has in the church he has been ordained to lead and guide as its coach. The pastor is held accountable by God for this responsibility.

1.    This will ultimately decide how many goals (new believers) are added to the church (daily) and, 
2.    To what level of maturity the church attains in spiritual understanding, 
3.    By recognising the 5-fold ministries within the Body of Christ, and 
4.    The specific spiritual gifts, (or gift-mixes) that each member of the church body has so that they can be put to their best use within the Body of Christ.

The reason why this is so important is to prevent putting “square pegs” into “round holes”, by appointing people to positions, which do not line up with their spiritual gifts.   If you look throughout the scriptures, people were never raised to positions of spiritual authority because of their seniority, or years in the service. 

Paul even admonished Timothy not to take any notice of those who refused to accept him, because of his young age, but to use the spiritual gifts that had been acknowledged by Paul himself, and by the laying on of hands by the members of the presbytery of that time. 

1.    So after listening to this message, what are you going to do now? 
2.    Are you already part of God’s team?
3.    If not, how are you going to become part of God’s team?
4.    Do you even know what spiritual gifts have been given to you by the Holy Spirit, and acknowledged by your pastor and/or received as confirmation by prophetic utterance over you?
5.    Do you know and understand your Bible well enough? In other words, do you understand the rules of the game? 
6.    If not, you have an eternal problem, because your eternal life rewards, depend upon how you live your life after salvation. 
7.    That will determine whether your name remains in the Lamb’s book of life, or is removed as defined in Revelations chapter 3:5 “Everyone who conquers will be clothed in white, and I  will not erase his name from the Book of Life, but I will announce before My Father and his angels that he is mine”.

Selah. Let us stop! Pause and think about this.       Let us pray.