Sermon Tone Analysis

Before you begin your Bible study, as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, be sure you have named your sins privately to God the Father.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

(Known, Unknown and Forgotten sins) (1Jn 1:9).

You will then be in fellowship with God, Filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to learn Truth from the Word of God.

 

"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth," (John 4:24)

 

 

 

THE TWELFTH MAN ON THE TEAM

(Php 2:12-16)

 

     On January 1, 1922, on the Dallas Fairgrounds, where now stands the Cotton Bowl, Texas A&M College (Now University) played an important football game against a prominent national team, known as Center College of Kentucky, or “The Praying Colonels.”

At that time Center was coached by the very famous “Uncle Charlie” Moran.

The underdog team was definitely Texas A&M, and their difficulties began to multiply immediately.

By half-time the Aggies were not only on the short end of the score, but were also very short of players.

Dana X Bible, who at the time was coach of the Cadets from College Station, had not only started with an undermanned squad, but had also had so many men hurt in the game, he realized that in the second half he would be able to field a team of only ten men.

A very discouraging day was in prospect for Texas A&M College.

Up in the stands was a young A&M student by the name of King Gill.

(Now a medical doctor in Corpus Christi, Texas) King Gill had gone out for the team; and though he was too small, he maintained a tenacious mental attitude and determinedly stuck with it.

So all year, in spite of the fact that he was not even accepted as a member of the team, he continued to work out with them.

He learned the plays, stayed in condition and kept up with them.

Finally, on this particular day, when the Texas A&M squad ran short of players.

Coach Bible called King Gill out of the stands and told him to get into uniform — he would play in the game — and play he did!

As a result, the Texas A&M team was so inspired that they won the game by a very close margin.

It is a never-to-be-forgotten event in the football annals of that school!

Afterward, of course, one of the heroes was King Gill.

He was called the “TWELFTH MAN.”

He had moved from the stands to the playing field as the twelfth man on the team.

Out of that particular game and situation came the famous tradition and song of Texas A&M University — “The Twelfth Man on the Team.”

The entire student body is now regarded as the Twelfth Man.

One of the finest types of school spirit found anywhere, is on the campus of Texas A&M University.

Some of you know that the Aggie student body stands up during the entire game and the students never stop cheering for the team.

They never stop pulling their team in! (Encouraging them) This splendid tradition now becomes the background for the passage under discussion.

THE TEAM

 

     In bringing this analogy over into the Spiritual realm, let us first of all introduce the Team.

The Team is made up of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

The Father has provided a tremendous plan of Salvation for lost and sinful man.

The Son, Jesus Christ, is the One who executed Salvation’s plan.

The plan is based on GRACE: billions of years ago, the Father loved us and desired fellowship with every member of the human race.

Jesus Christ came to this earth to fulfill that plan by going to the cross and being judged for YOUR sins and MINE.

He took OUR PLACE; He provided this /“so great Salvation.”/

(Heb 2:3)

     Now that He is risen, ascended and seated at the right hand of the Father, He has made it possible for us to operate on this earth today, by sending God the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit, as the Third Member of that Team, He dwells INSIDE every believer to honor and glorify the Person of Jesus Christ.

(John 14:17 John 16:14) Everything that we will ever need, as children of God, has been provided for us.

He did all the doing; we do all the receiving!

The moment we believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, He becomes our Lord, and the Father provides: /“...Abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” /(Eph 3:20) beginning with the gift of God the Holy Spirit.

(Acts 2:38; Acts 11:16-17) Everything depends on God!

 

ALL BELIEVERS ARE ON THE TEAM

 

     In, (Php 2:12-16) we find that every believer in Jesus Christ is the TWELFTH MAN on the Team.

/So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling/.

(Php 2:12)

 

     The phrase/ “my beloved”/ refers to our position as the TWELFTH MAN on the Team.

Technically, the word “Beloved” is used only of One Person the Lord Jesus Christ; The Father loves the Son with an infinite amount of love; and yet this term is now given to EVERY BELIEVER in Jesus Christ.

/     Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be.

We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

/ (1Jn 3:2)

 

     It doesn’t make any difference how UNLOVELY you may be from the standpoint of the world, or how undesirable you seem to other people; as far as God is concerned, we are beloved.

Why?

Because Jesus Christ is the Beloved One, and we are IN CHRIST!

As believers in Christ, we are in union with the Son of God — in union in such a way that His life becomes our life.

/     And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

/(1Jn 5:11-12)

 

     In this wonderful position “in Christ,”  /“Therefore there is now no condemnation...” /(Rom 8:1) We have Salvation because we are /“accepted in the beloved.”/

(Eph 1:6) God the Father could not accept us until Jesus Christ was accepted; after His resurrection and ascension.

Why did Jesus Christ need to be accepted?

As God He has always been accepted; but as Man He had to fulfill the Father’s plan.

When the plan was completed, (Heb 2:9-10) Jesus Christ entered into heaven and was accepted as the God-Man.

The Father said to Him, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.’’ (Heb 1:13) Now everyone who puts his trust in Jesus Christ enters into union with the Son of God and becomes bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh, (Eph 5:30) a partaker of the Divine nature, (2Pe 1:4) members of the body of Christ, (1Co 12:27) the TWELFTH MAN on the Team.

Are you on the Team?

 

/     But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who BELIEVE in His name./

(John 1:12)

 

     /For you are all sons of God through FAITH in Christ Jesus./

(Gal 3:26)

 

     Now it is as though all believers are “standing by” today.

Part of the Team is in heaven, (And in every believer) the Father and the Son; God the Holy Spirit indwells every believer; and we, as the Twelfth Man, are representing Jesus Christ here on this earth.

Therefore, if we are to represent the Person of Jesus Christ, we must first of all be coordinated.

/ For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory./

(Col 3:3-4)

 

COORDINATION

 

     (Php 2:12) begins with the words/ “so then,’’/ which has a connective meaning /“so then.”/

It connects us with verse 27 of the previous chapter.

/     Only conduct yourselves in a manner [Thought pattern] worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith [Spiritual life] of the gospel.

/(Php 1:27)

 

     This verse epitomizes Twelfth Man coordination.

Many times people have lost a position on a team, or have failed to qualify for a team because of lack of coordination.

A man may be strong, he may be big, he may be physically powerful; but if he lacks agility and coordination, he does not have the qualifications for a good athlete.

The same is true in the Christian life.

Very often we find people who know the gospel and who verbally proclaim it, but they lack COORDINATION.

They do not have the coordination between life and testimony.

They do not have the filling of God the Holy Spirit that gives them the real power to animate the gospel and make it clear.

Our /“manner of life”/ as believers in Christ should be coordinated with what we have to say about the gospel.

The life must declare the truth of what the lips say.

If the lips say that Jesus Christ meets every need of the life, that Jesus Christ is the answer, that Jesus Christ is the only One who can save, that Jesus Christ IS “the way, the Truth, and the life,” then the life should also demonstrate that fact.

The life should prove it!

This coordination can be brought about only through the filling of God the Holy Spirit, (/“Standing firm in one Spirit”/ — through application of, (1Jn 1:9) and knowledge and application of Divine Thinking.

When you are filled with God the Holy Spirit and you are constantly in the Word and Occupied with Christ, your life becomes a living demonstration of what is SAID — and you have coordination.

MENTAL ATTITUDE

 

     In addition to coordination, there must be a mental attitude in playing a game — the desire to play; the desire to win; but above all, the desire to make it a team effort.

Mental attitude, as you should know, is all-important in the Christian life.

Believers should have “ONE MIND — THE MIND OF CHRIST” — and should pull together as one team.

/“One Mind” /is the result of knowing/ “the Mind of Christ,” /(1Co 2:16) which is the Word of God.