JOIN THE RIGHT TEAM
JOIN THE RIGHT TEAM
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
INTRODUCTION:
I like the concept of teams and team sports.
When applied properly they keep things in perspective for those on the teams.
There are organizations that bring order to how teams conduct themselves and how they treat players.
One of the more popular ones around is the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)
This is where the best high school players play outside of school teams.
Many players and their parents often times do whatever it takes to get their kid on a good or great team…the right team, if you will.
Some parents would even relocate to get their child on that…good team or right team.
I often wonder how parents or even players know which team is the great or right team? How do they make such a decision?
One thing teams do is that they require the players to make a decisive move to align with the team they select…MAINLY BY WHAT THEY HAVE TO OFFER THE PLAYER…OR WHAT THEY STAND FOR.
Victory…we are in spiritual warfare and in so much we must make a decision to choose a side. And the sides are clear…the sides, or teams are clear in spiritual warfare…God or Satan.
And it is a choice…our choice. You see the excuse “the devil made us do it” will not work when we stand before God. Jesus forced us to do this or that will not work when we stand before God.
So tonight, I would like to talk about…JOIN THE RIGHT TEAM
Based on two points…
How to tell the wrong team
How to tell the right team
HOW TO TELL THE WRONG TEAM
The text says…” The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”
Now every team has an organizational structure.
The team of the enemy…” the thief” team captain is the devil…he dictates the strategies of the team.
And he makes it very clear what the focus of his team is…”to steal and kill and destroy.”
This means my brothers and sisters that whether it is your soul, or others’ he wants to steal it, kill it, destroy it.
That is his game plan…no matter what the promises…that is the game plan,
Some people get caught up in the promises of the coach and then find out much too late that is was all smoke and mirrors.
Much like some AAU coaches who make promises to players and their parents that will never come to fruition.
Yes… I will get your child into a Division one school
Yes…your child is one of the best players in the state/nation in their class
Yes…I can make your child a five start recruit by the time he or she is a junior or senior in high school.
Yes…I can get your child into this school or that school…no problem.
ALL EMPTY PROMISES…
BECAUSE ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS THEOR PROGRAM AND NOT THE PLAYER.
ALL THE DEVIL CARES ABOUT IS HIS GAME PLAN AND TO GET MORE SOULS IN HELL WITH HIM
And just like many of these coaches…just when the kid is vulnerable and at that age where they have no other choice…they drop the bomb of disappointment…ad destroys all hope for the kid.
Now the AAU coach may not intend on destroying the kid…but that is what happens.
He may not intend them to lose hope…but they do
BUT THE DEVIL…THAT IS HIS GAME PLAN AND ALL THAT HE CARES ABOUT.
We must always be diligent and not fall for promises…words that “tickle the ear…”
And knowing that “all good and perfect gifts come from God…” Why do people think that some coach can make a child great? Greatness is a gift from God…period.
This was NOT the “RIGHT TEAM TO JOIN…”
HOW TO TELLTHE RIGHT TEAM
The rest of our text says…” I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Before I continue…let me talk briefly about the foundation of the text.
In verse 9 there was a situation where Jesus had healed a blind man.
Then the Jews who said they are of Moses contested the legitimacy of the man’s claim to which the man stated…” If this man was not of God He could not do have He did…and He healed me”
Then Jesus came to him and turned the entire situation into a teaching/preaching moment.
But first He established who He is so as to substantiate what He can really do and why.
Then at out text He lets them know who the captain of the other team is and what his game plan is.
THEN…He lays out His plan in very simple terms…” I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
STRAIGHT AND TO THE POINT…
NO COLOFUL PROMISES…
NO BIG SHOW…
NO WHAT HE CAN DO IF…
NO NAME DROP…BECAUSE HE IS THE NAME DROP
NO “WOULDA…SHOULDA…COULDA…”
HIS TEAM IS THE RIGHT TEAM TO JOIN…TEAM JESUS
HOW DO I KNOW THIS…?
YOU SEE ON THIS TEAM…THE RIGHT TEAM
JESUS IS TEAM CAPTAIN
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE COACH
AND GOD OWNS AND RUNS THE ORGANIZATION
THIS IS HOW YOU KNOW WHEN YOU “JOIN THE RIGHT TEAM”
THEY DO NOT MAKE EMPTY PROMISES…THEY FULLFIL PROPHECIES…THE RIGHT TEAM
THEY WILL GIVE LIFE TO YOU DEAD SITUATIONS…AND LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY.
THEY ARE THE CREATORS OF THE UNIVERSE…THE RIGHT TEAM
THEY WILL SEND A DELIVERER IF WE CRY OUT…THE RIGHT TEAM
EVEN IF THE OTHER TEAM WANTS TO MESS WITH YOU HE NEEDS THEIR PERMISSION…THE RIGHT TEAM
THEY ALREADY KNOW THE OTHER TEAM’S GAME PLAN AND WILL ALWAYS BEAT HIM…THE RIGHT TEAM
THEY WILL LEAD YOU TROUGH THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR THEIR NAME SAKE…THE RIGHT TEAM
EVEN WHEN WE WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH…DO NOT BE AFRAID BECAUSE THEY ARE ALWAYS THERE…THE RIGHT TEAM
THEY WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU…THE RIGHT TEAM
NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST YOU SHALL PROSPER BECAUSE OF THEM…THE RIGHT TEAM
IF THEY ARE FOR YOU,WHO CAN BE AGAINST YOU…THE RIGHT TEAM
THEY WILL DIE ON THE CROSS OFR YOUR SINS…THE RIGHT TEAM
THEY WILL GET UPON THE THRD DAY WITH ALL POWER OEVR HEAVEN AND EARTH…THE RIGHT TEAM
THEY HAVE PREPARE A PLACE ESPECIALLY FOR YOU WITH THEM…THE RIGHT TEAM
JOIN THE RIGHT TEAM
