There is no "I" in team, as the saying goes. It's a cliché I heard a lot from coaches trying to get the players all playing together. Like all proverbs, even hackneyed sports proverbs, it depends on what you mean by it. A team, by nature, is a group of people working together for a common purpose. There can't be an "I" in the overarching objective for a team to work together. A quarterback, who is gunning for a high completion percentage, might not throw a higher-risk pass, even if it would be the best option for the team's sake. But, tell me that there is no "I" in team when the MVP is being carted off the field with an injury. Of course, the individual matters because the team is made up of individuals.
The church is a body, but it's made up of individual people. We should have the same desire for the glory of God, the same mind about our Lord Jesus, and the same love for one another. A member who is more concerned with their program than Christ's will not be on the same page as everyone else. But that doesn't mean the individual doesn't matter. Jesus gave us the commandment to love one another. But that doesn't mean we are not to also take care of ourselves. Paul said, in 1 Timothy 4:6, that Timothy (and by extension, all pastors) need to "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." Why should a pastor, and every member of a church, want their pastor to keep a close watch on himself?
One reason Tom Brady lasted so long is that he cared for himself. He took care of his diet, his body, mind. Because what good was a player to the team if he wasn't physically able to play? The pastor needs to look to himself and do what's necessary to "stay on the field." Paul isn't saying being selfish, but that Timothy is a man, not a machine. How can a pastor help others if he's not in the word? How can the pastor warn others of sin if he isn't forsaking sin himself? How can the pastor preach without watching his doctrine by reading and studying? A man who thinks he's been in the ministry long enough to stop studying and be watchful for his soul is in great danger, not only to himself but to the church he pastors. When a pastor stops watching his doctrine, he either goes off on some crazy doctrine, or he just starts repeating himself with the same sermon over and over.
There is no "I" in church, but there are many members. Pray for your pastor because it's to your benefit that he does well. I never understood why church members fight against their pastor and do their level best to make him miserable. It's more advantageous to you if he's doing well, even if he's not doing what you want. As part of the team, the pastor must take care of himself, in season and out.
The church is a body, but it's made up of individual people. We should have the same desire for the glory of God, the same mind about our Lord Jesus, and the same love for one another. A member who is more concerned with their program than Christ's will not be on the same page as everyone else. But that doesn't mean the individual doesn't matter. Jesus gave us the commandment to love one another. But that doesn't mean we are not to also take care of ourselves. Paul said, in 1 Timothy 4:6, that Timothy (and by extension, all pastors) need to "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." Why should a pastor, and every member of a church, want their pastor to keep a close watch on himself?
One reason Tom Brady lasted so long is that he cared for himself. He took care of his diet, his body, mind. Because what good was a player to the team if he wasn't physically able to play? The pastor needs to look to himself and do what's necessary to "stay on the field." Paul isn't saying being selfish, but that Timothy is a man, not a machine. How can a pastor help others if he's not in the word? How can the pastor warn others of sin if he isn't forsaking sin himself? How can the pastor preach without watching his doctrine by reading and studying? A man who thinks he's been in the ministry long enough to stop studying and be watchful for his soul is in great danger, not only to himself but to the church he pastors. When a pastor stops watching his doctrine, he either goes off on some crazy doctrine, or he just starts repeating himself with the same sermon over and over.
There is no "I" in church, but there are many members. Pray for your pastor because it's to your benefit that he does well. I never understood why church members fight against their pastor and do their level best to make him miserable. It's more advantageous to you if he's doing well, even if he's not doing what you want. As part of the team, the pastor must take care of himself, in season and out.
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