Football season is now in full swing! There’s nothing like it. I love this time of year. For the next few months, many of us will go to games or gather around our televisions to watch our favorite teams either win or lose. The teams with the best fundamentals and the most discipline will more than likely be the victors each week. It all comes down to fundamentals. Who is blocking the best? Who is doing the best tackling? Who is containing the outside the best? Who is running the ball the best? Who is throwing the ball the best?
At the start of every season, the great NFL coach, Vince Lombardi would begin his first practice of the year by saying these two phrases: “OK, this morning we go back to the basics,” and while holding it out in his hand, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” Really? How basic can you get? By that time, most of the men on that field had been playing football for 15-20 years. They knew exactly what a football looked like. But Coach Lombardi knew what it took to win. He knew in order to win, they needed to get back to the basics.
Church life is often like football. It’s easy to spend a lot of time doing all the things we think are right while forgetting the fundamentals. We all too easily take our eyes off our fundamental task of making disciples. We may go to worship every Sunday and even go to Sunday School and participate in the weekly lesson. We may even come back on Sunday or Wednesday night to listen to another engaging lesson. Doing these things are good, but it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re accomplishing our fundamental mission of making disciples, as commanded by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20.
There are 59 “one another” imperative commands in the New Testament. The fundamentals of the Christian life can be found in these imperative commands. The classical nature of “doing church” involves sitting in rows listening to someone else teach. While this may help us grow in knowledge (something you know I’m a fan of), it doesn’t give us the opportunity to practice the “one another’s” in Scripture. Just because we find ourselves in close proximity with others doesn’t always mean there is deep abiding community and real growth and change taking place.
Look at the ministry of Jesus. There were lots of people in close proximity to Him throughout His ministry on earth. However, there were only 12 men into whom He deeply poured His life. Follow the example of the Master. If I asked you, “Who are you pouring your life into right now?” I pray you would have an answer. As we read and understand God’s Word and pour that Word into others through life-on-life relationships, real growth and change happens. It’s in discipleship relationships, that fulfilling the “one another’s” of Scripture happens. In discipleship relationships, the fundamentals of the faith can be executed, and God is glorified as His children bear the fruit of righteousness and lasting change.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a Bible! Read it and teach it to others so they can do the same!
Adam K Rice 