Team-Covenant

In order to regulate colaboration in a team, many teams give themselves a team covenant, listing many verses for each other. There are said to be around a hundred such verses in the New Testament. Even 20 such verses are difficult to remember. So the idea arose to pack this into a panorama, not to leave individual verses standing alone, but to give the most important verses a framework. This is how it came about.

Jesus went up a mountain to pray. He prayed all night. The next morning, he chose his 12 disciples. Then, he went down the mountain with them, and they came to a large, open space. There, a large crowd was waiting; many wanted to be healed by Jesus. And Jesus spoke to his disciples and to the crowd. The essence of this first speech to his team was: "Be as merciful as your Father in heaven! Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. If you are willing to forgive others, then you will be forgiven. Give what you have, and you will be so richly given that you will not be able to take it all in. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’ "

One day just before his arrival and execution in Jerusalem, the mother of two of his disciples asked that her two sons be given the two places of honor at Jesus' side in his new kingdom. The other disciples were furious. Therefore, Jesus called them together and, through his example, patiently admonished them: "You know how the rulers of the world oppress their peoples. Those who have power exploit it ruthlessly. But it must not be so with you.” "You know how the rulers of the world oppress their peoples. Those who have power exploit it ruthlessly. But it must not be so with you. Whoever wants to be greater, let him serve others. Whoever wants to be first, let him be subordinate to all. Even the future ruler did not come to be served. He came to serve and to lay down his life so that many people might be delivered from the power of evil." Jesus then went with his disciples to Jerusalem.

On the eve of Passover, the feast of deliverance from slavery in Egypt, Jesus washed his disciples' feet to set an example for them to follow. At the end of the foot washing, he summed it all up again: "Today I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you are to love one another. By loving one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples." In a long farewell speech, Jesus described the relationship between himself and his disciples. "I am the vine, and you are the branches. He who abides in me, as I abide in him, bears much fruit. For without me you can do nothing. Remember, it was not you who chose me, but I who chose you, that appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. So that no matter what you ask for from the Father, using my name, he will give it to you."

After his execution and resurrection, Jesus gave his disciples a great commission: make disciples of all nations. And yet, the team of disciples struggled with this. Jesus first had to give Peter a vision and have him meet Cornelius, a God-fearing Roman centurion. Then Peter realized, "Only now do I really understand that God does not favor or discriminate against anyone because of their background. All people are welcome to Him, no matter what nation they come from, if only as long as they have reverence for Him and live in obedience to Him." Paul worked with various teams, including one in Ephesus. There he witnessed the silversmiths' revolt against the Christians. Later, he wrote them a letter. At the end, he emphasized, like Jesus, that as followers of Jesus we should pray for one another continually. This summary is based on Scripture and it is true.

We too are part of this team of disciples and want to serve according to the example and calling of Jesus. Our goal has been described by John, another disciple called by God. John was exiled to a deserted island because of his faith. There God gave him a message of hope: One day, people from all peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will worship Jesus because he has ransomed them with his blood and sacrificial death.