I love playoff time! I love football in the cold frigid temperatures. I love seeing the best teams at the end of the season battle it out for the glory of becoming a championship team. As a matter of fact, I believe ministry organizations, churches, and missional leaders can learn a great deal about playoff football. Here’s some of those lessons:
1. Unity
One of the things that separate playoff teams from those whose season has already ended is that playoff teams have more unity. You rarely, if ever, see veteran football teams pointing fingers at each other and bickering at one another. They strengthen one another. Because teams that stick together win together. That’s right. As Jesus was nearing the cross his prayer for his followers was that they would be ONE as He and the Father were ONE. Unity wins, division loses, every time. A house divided will never stand. The Church has too long a history of Christians fighting Christians. If we are ever to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to those who need it most, we will have to fight the right battles and realize that fellow Christians are not the enemy. Reserve your energy for the right battles!
2. One Mission
Every playoff team began the season with the goal of winning the Super Bowl. No team gets to the playoffs by accident. No team that wins the Super Bowl is surprised by it. They all had a plan. As Mike Tyson said, “Everyone has a plan ’till they get punched in the mouth.” Playoff teams have been punched in the mouth all season long but they keep coming. They know the mission they are on. They strive for the WIN. For the body of Christ, the WIN is seeing Christ formed in people. That’s what we are here for – that’s why we exist. We don’t exist to set up a religious club that hides from the world and its messy people. We exist to go to broken people. The mission of Jesus Christ was to seek and to save that which was lost. That should be the mission of the church – to reach people far from God. And that mission needs people who are willing to fight for it, guard it, and live it at all cost. What’s your mission?
3. They Brave The Elements
Playoff caliber football players don’t care about the elements. They brave any terrain and any weather to WIN at their mission. They play in minus degree temperatures if they must. Wildcard teams who don’t mind playing on the road are the scariest teams in the league. They don’t care about the comfort of home field advantage. They will give their best at any stadium in the country. When followers of Jesus are willing to meet and worship in any place, with any conditions, braving any elements, the devil is threatened. He doesn’t care if we hibernate in our “safe” elements. But when the church is willing to go “on the road” to where hurting people are (i.e. juvenile centers, prisons, innercity neighborhoods) – great things happen. We were part of a church plant in Florida that had to move 13 times in their first 8 years. Because of their willingness and flexibility, God grew that church with every move. They are now reaching over 5,000 people every weekend. Churches who are about the right mission will go anywhere, anytime – this is the Church Satan trembles at. This is the Church he fears!
4. Respect for Leadership
When my beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl in 2002, they did it with first year coach Jon Gruden. Many of the players missed Tony Dungy (as did I) and still played under Dungy’s coaching philosophy that he had instilled within them for many years. But they respected their new coach enough to buy into his offensive philosophy (much different from that of Dungy) and playbook methodology. And because of it, they accomplished something great. It was a different approach for them, they were veteran players who didn’t find it easy to buy into a new, younger coach’s playing style, but when they did – I was blessed with a Super Bowl championship DVD that I can slip into my player to cherish even after a dreadful season like this one. We won’t go there. You may disagree at times with your church leader’s style of ministry or methodology, but you can still respect your leaders without fostering gossip, distrust, or disdain for authority. Respect for leadership brings a winning culture to every team. And in a worldly culture that breeds disrespect for leaders and authority, the Church will remain stagnant and useless in its mission until it separates itself from that culture and cultivates respect for leadership.
5. Sacrifice for the Team
I heard an interview with LaDanian Tomlinson yesterday who is a veteran player and a man grounded in his Christian faith. This athlete has broken many records over the years. He is accustomed to running the ball much throughout a game. But his team has changed its approach over the last couple of seasons making him less involved in the running game. He was asked if that bothered him. I loved his response. “I want what’s best for this team to win,” Tomlinson said. He demonstrated great sacrifice and humility saying, I’ll take on a more reserved role if it is good for the team. If it helps us win, I will do whatever it takes. Even if it means my name won’t be called on as much. What would the kingdom of God look like if every follower of Christ took Tomlinson’s humble approach to the team and mission? This kind of sacrifice is one that is rare and uncommon in the self-gratifying times we are living. A good ol’ fashion return to humility and sacrifice would serve the church well in the times we are living in.