Dharius Daniels - Squad Goals

So, there’s a scripture I want to read found in the Book of Luke, chapter number six, beginning at verse 12. We’re going to read verses 12 and 13. I’m looking out throughout the crowd today, trying to see any 49ers jerseys, and I don’t own the camera. May God bless you more and more; may He increase you. Right here, I see you. Right there, my brother, may God give you a double portion right now. Right now, may God give it to you. Over here, I see him standing up. You’re like, «Ha! Long player!» I’ll see you, blue. I’m with you. Yes, I’m with you. I’ve got your back, Davis, you old school. I’m with you! Yes, sir, I feel you! Yes, sir, Cowboys, God is not with you. Enrique, is not you? Kabob! The glory of the Lord has just departed. No, sir! Oh, I see, yes. Okay. Luke chapter 6, verse 12 says, «On one of those days, Jesus went out to the mountain to pray and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated as apostles.» I want to conclude the reading of God’s Word right there and talk from this subject this morning: «Squad Goals.» Squad Goals!

Allow me to leap into this lesson today with a statement that is salient and significant to this series and sermon. I’ll capture it in a phrase for our note takers: The course and quality of our life are not just determined by who we are; they are equally impacted by who we are with. I’ll say it again for my note takers: The course and quality of our life are not just determined by who we are; they are equally impacted by who we are with. In other words, family, I’m simply suggesting that in life, we do not go as far as our dreams; we go as far as our team.

Today, we will witness one of the most significant sporting events in American culture; it’s called the Super Bowl. Only two teams will play for the coveted prize of the Lombardi Trophy. However, at the beginning of the year, several teams had a dream that they would be there, but the fact that all of them except two did not get there is an indication of what I’m trying to articulate: It’s not that those teams that didn’t make it didn’t have a good dream; it’s that they didn’t have a good team. Because you don’t go as far as your dream; you go as far as your team.

I am not sure if we are aware of this, but the Bible is clear that we have been created for collaboration; we have been engineered for interdependence. One of the distinctives between us and God is that God is self-sufficient, and we are not. God needs nothing from no one; everything that He needs is within Himself. He is self-sufficient; He is all-sufficient. But we, ladies and gentlemen, are not God. The Bible is clear: When God created the first human, Adam, He evaluated what He created and came to the conclusion, «It is not good for man to be alone.» Here it is: How could Adam be alone if God was there? It is as if God is saying Adam needs somebody besides him in order to be who I’ve called him to be. He needs more than me; he needs somebody that looks like him.

I’m simply trying to suggest that as was the case for Adam, so it is for you and me. For me to be the best me, I need somebody beside me. I need to hear a better amen than that! Yes! Yet, the Bible puts it this way in Proverbs 27:17: «As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.» To sharpen means to improve, to enhance, and so the scriptures seem to be suggesting that how sharp I am is based on who I’m rubbing up against. The question is: Are the people I’m rubbing shoulders with making me more dull or sharpening me? Because the course and quality of my life are not just determined by who I am; they are equally impacted by who I’m with.

The Bible also says in Proverbs 13:20, watch this, it says, «Walk with the wise and become wise.» This is interesting because the first part says you’ll become like who you walk with, but the B clause says this: «For a companion of fools suffers harm.» Look at what it says; it doesn’t say a fool suffers harm; it says a companion of fools suffers harm. So, I don’t have to be a fool to face harm; I just have to hang with them. Did you hear what I just said? Because you don’t go as far as your dream; you go as far as your team. Therefore, our success is determined by our squad.

So one of the most consequential and critical decisions and choices we will ever make is whether or not we’re able to move from just having people around us—we can be with those, our friends—to also having people around us we can build with. That’s a squad! We need more than people that can hang with us; we need people that can help us because your presence on this planet is not an accident. It is not a coincidence. Your parents may not have planned your arrival, but God did. He strategically orchestrated your existence; you were born when you were supposed to be born, where you were supposed to be born, and even if you don’t like the people that are responsible for your birth, God made sure you got the right DNA.