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“THE
TWELFTH MAN”
B. R.: (Mark 16:7 KJV) But go your way,
tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you
into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto
you.
INTRODUCTION:
There is a tradition in football lore about the twelfth
man. As you know a football team is comprised of 11
players on the field at any one time.
The tradition of the Twelfth Man was born on the second
of January 1922, when an underdog Texas A&M “Aggie” team
was playing Centre College, then the nation's top ranked
team. As the hard fought game wore on, and the Aggies
dug deeply into their limited reserves, their Coach,
Dana X. Bible remembered a man who was not in uniform.
He had been up in the press box helping reporters
identify players. His name was E. King Gill, and was a
former football player who was only playing basketball
at that time.
Gill was called from the stands, suited up, and stood
ready throughout the rest of the game, which A&M finally
won 22-14. When the game ended, E. King Gill was the
only man left standing on the sidelines for the Aggies.
Gill later said, "I wish I could say that I went in and
ran for the winning touchdown, but I did not. I simply
stood by in case my team needed me."
This gesture was more than enough for the Aggie Team.
Although Gill did not play in the game, he had accepted
the call to help his team. He came to be thought of as
the Twelfth Man because he stood ready for duty in the
event that the eleven men on the gridiron needed
assistance. That spirit of readiness for service, desire
to support, and enthusiasm helped kindle a flame of
devotion among the entire student body at Texas A&M; a
spirit that has grown vigorously throughout the years.
The entire student body at A&M is now referred to as the
Twelfth Man, and they stand during the entire game to
show their support. The 12th Man is always in the stands
waiting to be called upon if they are needed.
I. THE ABILITY OF A TEAM
a. History is filled with example after example of what
men and women can do when they come together
and work as a team
i. A Team is
defined as a group of individuals on the same side in a
match or contest; to join forces with.
b. So much has been able to be accomplished when people join
forces together.
i. The day of
Pentecost.
1. The church was facing its first real test… Jesus was
no longer with them bodily… many had been
loosing faith and deserting the believers for their old
way of life…. It seemed like the movement
begun by Our Lord was going to end before it could even
have a real beginning…
a. but wait? What is that I hear?
i. It is the sound of 120 in an upper room praying
1. They had one mind
2. They had one accord (purpose)
a. THEY WERE A TEAM
i. United by a common cause
ii. Working towards a shared goal
iii. You can never underestimate what can be done when
people decide
to work together to accomplish a Goal.
1. Look at the pyramids
2. Look at the great sky scrapers
3. Look at this great country of ours.
c. The early church survived this dark time… and even
flourished because they worked together as a team
II. THE VISION OF A TEAM
a. Ability simply put is potential. But a team will
never reach its full potential
(ability) until it shares
a common goal – Vision.
i. The potential of the church was realized for a few
brief centuries because of necessity.
ii. Early on it was imperative for the gospel message to
be proclaimed by every man woman or child
because so
many were trying to destroy it. They had to tell someone
before they lost their life.
1. They also had a deep realization of the 2nd coming of
Jesus. He could come at any time so they
had to be busy.
a. But time has a way of changing things.
i. Days turned into weeks, weeks slipped into months,
months turned into years and
little
by little, day by
day the great team known as the church began to loose
their vision
and thus began to come far short of their
potential.
ii. It is sad to watch a once great team severely beaten
in every game (Example of the
AZ. Diamond Backs).
iii. The Bible tells us “without a vision the people
perish” because without a vision the
team will never
band together to defeat their foe. They will never reach
their
potential.
III. EVERY MEMBER IS IMPORTANT
a. The Tradition of the Twelfth man begun at Texas A&M
has made that team triumphant time after time
because
the learned the lesson in 1922 that the church needs to
learn today
i. The twelfth man is a vital part of the team.
ii. The twelfth man is important to the overall success
b. In Aggie tradition the twelfth man is the fan… the
people in the stands
i. In the church the twelfth man is the member… the
people in the pew.
c. The Aggie’s play harder when the twelfth man is in
the stands standing to show
their support
i. The fans like embody what Gill said after that game
in 1922 "I wish I could say
that I went in and ran for
the winning touchdown, but I did not. I simply stood
by
in case my team needed me."
ii. The fans have come to realize
that their team needs “me” each and
every one.. the
individual. And so they come standing by to help their
team.
iii. Oh, that each individual member of our church could
come to this
realization…. Your team needs you!!!!
1. It could be said that those in the stands are
unimportant….
a. But don’t say that to those on the field they would
beg to differ…..
i. That is why in 1980 the head coach of the Aggie’s
started a
12th man kick of team A special team made up
of people
from the stands… just ordinary folk
1. This team had one of the lowest yards per return
averages in the league.
2. They have begun such traditions in the spirit of the
twelfth man Towel (begun after an Aggie tackled an
opponent that had been running all over the defense…
waived over head)
b. That day in 1922 the Aggie’s needed Gill. The call
went out, and
like a true team player Mr. Gill came to
stand for his team!!!!
c. Today the team of Christ is calling for the twelfth
man… to you to
come to its aid… to stand on its side and
to be ready for the call.
i. Will you come? Will you be present at every game?
1. Gill could have said no…. He could have said what can
I
do? I have not played in years… But instead he suited
up
and stood for his team
2. Will you don the suit of a faithful member?
3. Will you stand in the congregation of the righteous
and
root for your team?
4. The Aggies play harder when the twelfth man is there.
They draw strength from the people on the side lines.
a. And so too we draw strength from your presence!!
They sing a song at that school there in Texas which
says
… And the Twelfth Man so in hearing,
Let out a mighty yell,
That echoed clear to Heaven,
And shook the gates of Hell.
And what group is this upon the side,
Saint Peter asked his aid,
That swelled as if to burst with pride,
When we our judgment made?”
Why sir that is the Cadet Corps,
That’s known both far and wide,
For backing up their Aggie Team,
Whether they won or lost or tied….
Well I say to you
… And the Twelfth Man so in hearing,
Let out a mighty yell,
That echoed clear to Heaven,
And shook the gates of Hell.
And what group is this on the side,
Saint Peter asked his aid,
That swelled as if to burst with pride,
When we our judgment made?”
Why sir that is the Church of God
, The Twelfth man
so they say
That’s there for every service
That always there to pray
They’ve never lost their vision
But they stand at every game
And pray for everyone that walks
The aisles for to get saved.
The Twelfth man goes unnoticed
By many in the world
But never will they be forgot
By the savior of the World.
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