Better Together – Learning from Each Other

One of the keys to a successful sporting team is creating a spirit that builds the team. The football team I follow, Melbourne, (great colours, red and blue), won an AFL premiership in 2021 in Perth during the COVID lockdown. I had been waiting for this moment since 1964, which was the last time they had won the flag.

There was something about being in lockdown together that built a strong bond, enabling them to perform at an elite level. Supporters of Melbourne like me dreamed that after the win of 2021, we would go on to win a string of premierships. Sadly, that has not been the case. In both 2022 and 2023, we showed promise. However, in the finals of both those years, we were defeated in straight sets. This year, we did poorly and finished well outside the top eight, sinking to fourteenth on the ladder. The only thing that brings me any satisfaction is that we finished above the West Coast Eagles.

There is an ongoing review of the Melbourne Football Club examining its culture. They want to learn how they have lost the team spirit that brought them success in 2021. There have been issues of selfishness, not looking out for teammates, and even incidents of physical violence between players, problems related to drug use, the list goes on. While I am disappointed, I am not surprised. Sporting clubs often reflect our society. In the end, my faith is not based on the Melbourne Football Club and its performance. We can apply the concept of “better together” to how we function as a church.

There is clear biblical support for a focus on team spirit, or “better together,” that needs to be part of the culture of every church. When we engage in learning in the Church, we often focus on the doctrines or teachings, which we call the Twenty-Eight Fundamentals. Understanding what we believe is very important, and we need to be clear on what the Bible teaches. Another area we have a real passion for is understanding the prophetic teachings of Scripture, particularly those in Daniel and Revelation. These are important if we understand the purpose of prophecy. The purpose of prophecy is not to satisfy our curiosity about the timing of Jesus’ coming or End Time events. Jesus makes that very clear (Matthew 24 and 25, and 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11). Prophecy has a clear ethical and moral purpose: to teach us how to live. So, while it is important to believe like an Adventist, it is even more important to live like one.

We all need to be challenged by Scripture. The most important challenge happens in community, where we learn together. We are better together as we learn how to live as God’s people. Jesus said: “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35). For our church to go to the next level, there needs to be an extraordinary demonstration of love for each other. This is where we seem to struggle.

Jesus speaks more about this than any other subject in the Gospels. We often ignore it because we find it so uncomfortable. Team spirit does not mean we ignore problems, but rather deal with them in a biblical and Christlike manner. When I have a problem with someone who has hurt me, I do not talk to someone else about it. First, I discuss it with the person – as directed in Matthew 18:15-20. It is interesting to note that the best football teams put this biblical principle into practice. They sort out their differences and are honest and forgiving in their team meetings. They do this to win a game of football. The church needs to do this to win people to Jesus Christ and build disciples.

An example of the church being “better together” is found in the early church, described in Acts 2:42-47. Learning together in a community that involves teaching, worship, communion, and joy in the Lord. This is very practical. It led to sharing and generosity. Through this, the Lord added to their number. We cannot learn on our own; we learn in a community. There is a saying “It takes a village to raise a child.” In our context, it takes a church to raise a disciple of Jesus.

I am not satisfied as a supporter of the Melbourne Football Club – but that is a minor issue. I am not satisfied as a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. What would it take for us to be a remnant church? Do not just say we ‘keep’ the Ten Commandments and have the writings of Ellen White on our shelves. I am not sure that passes muster. Hebrews 10:24-25 needs to be lived out: “Do not forget to come together and encourage one another with outbursts of love and good deeds. Indeed, do not neglect meeting, as some do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of His coming back again is drawing near.” All of us are better together as we accept the gospel; we need to live the gospel and learn to do this together.