YOU’VE GOT TO GET CONNECTED
Essentials for 21st Century Living
01-29-12 Sermon
“It is not good for man to be alone.” Genesis. 2:18
God’s word for “connecting with others”:
I. WHY IS IT ESSENTIAL TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS?
E__________________ Reasons
P__________________ Reasons
S__________________ Reasons
II. WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE SPIRITUALLY CONNECTED?
4 metaphors for being part of a church
1. IT’S LIKE BEING A ________________________________________
“You believers are like a building that God owns… Jesus is the most important stone in the building and the whole building is joined together in Christ… You are being built into a place where God lives through the Spirit.” Eph 2:20+22 (ICB)
“We who believe are carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.” Eph. 2:21 (NLT)
· In a BUILDING, the connected parts ____________________________________
2. IT’S LIKE BEING A ________________________________________
“Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ’s Body. We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others.”
Rom. 12:4-5 (LB)
a. We’re all D_____________________
b. We all have D________________ R____________________ to play
c. We are all N_______________________
d. We all belong to E____________ O__________________
e. We all need to be C__________________________ to each other
“In Christ’s Body we’re all connected to each other…” Eph. 4:25b (Mes)
“We are joined together in His Body by His strong sinews, and we grow as we get our nourishment and strength from God.” Col. 2:19 (NLT)
· In a BODY, the connected parts ______________________________________
3. IT’S LIKE BEING A ________________________________________
“God made us, and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.”
Ps. 100:3 (NLT)
“Take care of God’s flock, His people, that you are responsible for. Watch over them because you want to, not because you are forced to do it.” 1 Peter 5:2 (ICB)
· In a FLOCK, the sheep are ________________________________________
4. IT’S LIKE BEING A ________________________________________
“I want you to know how people who are members of God’s family must live. God’s family is the church…” 1 Tim. 3:15 (GWT)
“Love each other like brothers and sisters.” Rom. 12:10 (NCV)
· In a FAMILY, the members ________________________________________
How can I get connected to this church family?
“First they gave themselves to the Lord; and then, by God’s will, they gave themselves to us as well.” 2 Cor. 8:5 (GN)
YOU’VE GOT TO GET CONNECTED
Essentials for 21st Century Living
01-29-12 Sermon
There are hundreds of millions of people already connected to the Internet. As Peg and I have traveled to different impoverished places in the world, we have been amazed at how many people in those settings have cell phones and internet cafes. There is hardly a week that goes by that I don’t receive a request at my ARM office from some impoverished part of the world asking us to send a team to minster to them. Companies are spending hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars to lay cable and to put satellites in space in order to connect everybody in the world.
There are over millions of miles of fiber optics laid around the world. Under the ocean, they have laid enough cable to circle the entire globe more several times. In space there are now over fifteen hundred satellites dedicated to communications. All this to get us connected.
Today, I want to talk to you about another kind of connection. A relational connection. For many years there's been a strong emphasis in our society on personal individuality, self-expression, self-esteem, self-fulfillment. Focus on me, the individual. I've got to do what's best for me. As a result of that we've produced a very disconnected society. People don't know each other. You don't know all your neighbors. You don't know all the people you work with. You don't even know all the people in this church. You’re disconnected.
We weren't made to live disconnected lives. The Bible says in Genesis 2:18, God said, "It is not good for man to be alone." You were made for relationships. You were created for connections. Psychologists call this a universal need to belong. Even Jesus needed friends. The Bible has a very important word about connecting people at the deepest level. That spiritual connection is called fellowship.
We use the word "fellowship" to refer to just hanging out with people (which it is not), having a party (which it is not), being with friends (which it is not). Fellowship is more than socializing. Fellowship is more than networking. Fellowship is more than making contacts with contacts. It is even more than just spending fun time with people you love. Fellowship in its truest sense is soul to soul connection. That is what Scott was asking for. Sadly most people on this earth have never enjoyed the true meaning of genuine fellowship. They have never had a spiritual connection with anybody. You may have had an emotional connection, a sexual connection, an intellectual connection. But almost nobody has ever had a heart-to-heart, soul to soul, fellowship connection unless you know the Lord and have learned to fellowship with other believers.
Why is it essential to connect with others? There are emotional reasons. There are physical reasons. You will live longer, lots of studies have proven that. There are spiritual reasons. Dr. Edward Hallowell has written a new book simply called Connect. He says, "We are a nation of doers. We hurry from place to place, filling our lives with all kinds of activities, sometimes over scheduling our kids and ourselves. But what really sustains us emotionally, psychologically and physically is connectedness, the feeling that we are part of something that matters, something larger than ourselves that gives life meaning. Just as there is a vitamin deficiency, there is a human contact deficiency and it weakens the body, the mind and the spirit. Its ravages can be severe – depression, physical illness, early death. Or they can be mild – under achievement, fatigue, and loneliness. Just as we need Vitamin C each day, we also need a dose of human contact everyday with other people.
We all know that we need food. We all know that we need vitamins and minerals. We know that we need air. Most of us know that we need sunshine. But most of us don't know that one of the other major factors in your health in life is you need deep human contact. Just as essential as Vitamin C is, the other vitamin C – connectedness is essential to your life. There are many scientific studies that have proved that you have to have this in your life in order to really live and not just exist.
What does it mean to be spiritually connected? What's it like? The Bible gives us four word pictures or metaphors that says, "Being spiritually connected is like this..." We're going to look at these this morning because a lot of you have a misunderstanding of what church is all about. Church is not just a place to attend. In fact, in the New Testament the word “church” never refers to a building or place because the believers at that time did not have buildings yet. Church is a group to be connected to. This weekend about millions of people will be at some church service, but few of them will be really connected spiritually to that church. So I want to explain to you the benefits of why you've got to get connected. It's one of the essentials for living in the 21st century. You need people to live with.
Why? What is it like to be spiritually connected? 1. It's like being a brick in a building.
This is a picture we find in the Bible. The Bible compares the church to a spiritual building. Notice Ephesians 2:20 & 22 "New believers are like a building that God owns. Jesus is the most important stone in the building and the whole building is joined together in Christ. You are being built into a place where God lives through the Spirit."
At my church in Philadelphia they had a very complicated building. On my first Sunday there I was down in my office and it was time for the 10:15 service and I didn’t remember how to get to the sanctuary from there. Because I am a man, and because I was the pastor, I was too embarrassed to ask anyone how to get there, so I walked outside and walked around the building because I knew I could eventually find it that way. Fortunately it was a nice morning for a walk outside! I figured that sometime during the next week I could figure out if there was an interior route I could use on a rainy day.
It takes many different parts to make a building. The key to making a building is all of the parts have to fit together. If they don't fit together, you don't have a building. If a beam is a half-inch short the roof is going to collapse. If it's a half-inch too long, it's not going to fit. If a door has hinges that aren't in the right place or it’s too thick or too narrow, it won't fit and it can't be connected to the building. If you run a pipe through a hole and you want to connect it and it's an inch too short, it's not going to fit. It has to be connected to be a part of the building. In fact, if it's not connected, it's not a part of the building.
There may be lots of different pieces of potential building on the floor--bricks, pieces of wood, pieces of metal, switches, boxes, wires, but as long as they're disconnected they're not really a part of the building. They're in the building but they're not really a part of the building until they're connected.
That may be a parable of some of you. You come to Forest Grove Church, you attend here, you're in the Forest Grove family. But you're not really a part of the Forest Grove family. It's like you're in the building but you're not a part of the building because you're not connected. You come and you sit and you hear God's word and you sing the songs, you go out and talk to people in the parking lot or the narthex and you go home. But you're a spectator, you're not actually a participator. You need to get connected.
Ephesians 2:21 "We who believe are carefully joined together becoming a holy temple for the Lord." God is building a spiritual temple, a living one. And it's going to last forever. To be a part of it, you've got to get connected to it.
Why did God choose a building as an illustration of what it means to be spiritually connected? Why did He choose a building to demonstrate what the church is like?
Because in a building, all the connected parts support each other. Beams support other beams. Walls support other walls and the roof holds the walls together, the walls hold the roof up. They're all connected and they're all supporting.
That is one of your deepest needs in life. You need support. You need emotional support. You need physical support sometimes. You certainly need spiritual support. Where are you going to get it if you're not connected? Who's going to hold you up in the tough times? You need the support, like being a brick in a building. You weren't meant to go through life disconnected and unsupported.
That’s why it is important for people to pick up cards for our shut-ins at our communion services and to send them notes. That’s why it is important to visit the shut-ins. That’s why our prayer chain is important. That’s why a small group Bible study in Henry’s home is important. That’s why being a part of work teams and ministry teams together is important. We need to stay connected.
2. IT’S LIKE BEING A PART OF A BODY.
The Bible not only compares being a part of the church with being a brick in a building, but it also compares it to being a part of a body. That's an image of being spiritually connected because the Bible calls the church the body of Christ over and over again. It compares the church to a physical body.
Romans 12 says this "Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ's body. We are all parts of it and it takes every one of us to make it complete for we all have a different work to do. So we belong to each other and each needs all the others."
This verse is literally packed with spiritual truths. I want to point out five things just from this one verse.
1. First, notice that in a church we're all different. We're all unique. God doesn't want you to be like anybody else. He made you uniquely you. He wants you to be you. He doesn't want you copying anybody else. You don't have to be like them. You are unique.
2. We all have different roles to play, different work to do, different niches to fill. In a body not everything does the same thing. Can you imagine if all the parts of your body did the same thing? Like, every part of your body did the digestion. That would be redundant and uncomfortable because you have a lot of other things to do besides just digest food. It would be unnecessary too. We have different roles to play in the body of Christ.
3. We are all needed to make the body complete. The hand can't say to the foot, "I don't need you," and the ear can't say to the nose, "I don't need you." We're all needed in the body of Christ. Some parts of your body are very small but they're still needed. You may think that “In this body of Christ called Forest Grove Church, I'm just a toenail on the body." Let me ask you, Have you ever lost a toenail? Do you notice it when it's gone? It's pretty uncomfortable. Even when the littlest part of your body gets hurt, you notice it. If your little finger gets smashed, the rest of your body hurts. There are no little people in the body of Christ.
The most important light in your home is not the big chandelier in the dining room. It’s that little tiny light you turn on at night that keeps you from stubbing your toe when you get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. That's the most important light in your house. Some of you may say that the most important light is the one that comes on when you open the refrigerator door. That may be true, but the point is, size and significance have nothing in common. And if you're at Forest Grove Church, you are needed here in the body of Christ. You're not here by accident. God brought you here because you have a role to play in this body of the body of Christ called Forest Grove Church.
4. We all belong to each other. The Christian life is not just a matter of believing. It's a matter of belonging. You say, "I believe in Jesus." Great! You're halfway there. But you need to belong to His body. You need to be a brick in the building and a part of the body. What good is a body part that's detached from the body? We all belong to each other. You make a commitment to Jesus Christ and you make a commitment to other Christians and say, "That's going to be the body I'll be a part of."
5. We all need to be connected to each other. When you're disconnected you're not very effective. What good is an eyeball detached from the body? None. An eyeball cannot see at all unless it is attached to a body. What good is a hand if it's detached from a body? None. A hand cannot do anything unless it's connected to a body. Here's the parallel: God wants you to be connected to His body because you can't be effective as a Christian, as a believer, to grow spiritually without being connected. Why did God choose the body as an illustration of what the church is to be? Because in a body, all the parts grow together. They grow in harmony. If your leg gets detached from your body, can it grow? No. If your arm gets detached from your body can it grow? No. I don't know how to say it any clearer than this: You cannot be all God wants you to be and you cannot grow to be what God wants you to be without being attached to a body, a church, a church home. This is the second most important connection in life. The most important connection is your connection to God, Jesus Christ. Once you've got that one down the second most important connection in your life is get connected to God's body, the body of Christ, so that you can grow.
Colossians 2:19 "We are joined together in His body by His strong sinews, and we grow as we get our nourishment and strength from God." What is a sinew? The sinew is the part that holds everything together. Notice it says we grow as we get our nourishment and strength from God. If you are serious about spiritual growth, you have to get connected to a body. You have to get connected to a church body and say, "That's where I'm going to grow." You cannot grow all the way you're supposed to grow on your own.
The Bible also called the church a flock. This is Jesus' favorite term. He calls the church, "My little flock." So the third image of what it means to be spiritually connected is:
3. IT'S LIKE BEING A SHEEP IN A FLOCK
Psalm 100:3 says "God made us and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture." That probably doesn't sound too appealing to you. A sheep in a flock! Wow! That sounds really kind of smelly! I haven’t seen many sheep around Joelton and most of us have no idea how well sheep are cared for. But if you remember in Psalm 23 it says "Because the Lord is my shepherd, I have everything that I need." When you get in God's flock, the great shepherd, Jesus Christ, takes care of the needs in your life.
Jesus said this in John 10 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." That's how much you matter to God. Jesus Christ laid down His life for you. "A hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep, so when the wolf comes he abandons the sheep and runs away and then the wolves attack the flock and scatter it. A hired hand runs away because he cares nothing for the sheep. But I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me and I lay down My life for My sheep. My sheep listen to My voice and I know them and they follow Me and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish and no one can ever snatch them out of My hand."
Why did God choose the flock as an image of what it means to be spiritually connected? Because in a flock the sheep are protected and cared for. That's one of the functions of a church. You need that in your life. When you're getting beat up in the business world, when your marriage and family are being strained to the limit, when you're facing a personal overwhelming crisis, you need people who will step up to bat for you. You need people that when everybody else walks out of your life, they walk into it. They go to bat. They assume responsibility and they protect you and they care for you. Like a shepherd does sheep.
The Bible tells us that in every church God gives certain people, a number of these people who are good at what we're talking about here. They're good at caring for other people. They're good at loving. They're people-people. They're good at leading or encouraging discussion or teaching or supporting and helping the people in the church who are in need.
They're called many different things. In the Bible, they're called pastors, they're called shepherds. Today, it is not just the official pastor of the church, it includes other in the church who take on a shepherding role. It really doesn't matter what you call these caring individuals of the church that help care for the flock. But you need them. Every sheep needs a shepherd. Every person deserves individualized, personalized care. Regardless of what you call them, the job description for these people in the church is in 1 Peter 5:2 "Take care of God's flock, His people that you are responsible for. Watch over them because you want to not because you're forced to do it." This is a voluntary position. You want to do it not because somebody's forcing you to do it.
The truth is, some of you could do that. You are wired for it. You have a heart for people. You are a people person. You like helping others. You don't want to go hide off by yourself with a computer in a little room. You want to get out with people and help them and share with them and talk with them. You say, "Don't you have to be have seminary training?" No, you don't. You don't have to have been a Christian for fifty years. You don't have to know all the answers to everything. Just a couple things, one, love God and, two, love people. If you love God and you love people you probably qualify.
The last image of being spiritually connected is one you're all familiar with.
4. It's like being a member of a family.
The Bible calls the church "the family of God." We're a spiritual family. We're God's family. 1 Timothy 3:15 says, "I want you to know how people who are members of God's family must live. God's family is the church." You may live a long distance from family members and extended relatives. And some of you are single adults. And some of you have a marriage or family that is not supportive of your spiritual development or growth. We are your family. We will help you. We love you. We want to care for you. We want to help you be all that God wants you to be.
How are we to act as members of the family of God? Romans 12:10 "Love each other like brothers and sisters." Why? Because we’re a family. Here in the south, some people in the church continue to refer to each other as “brother’ or “sister.” Calling each other brother and sister is not a bad idea, if you really mean it. We really are related to each other in the family of God. The phrase "one another" is used many times in the New Testament. The Bible says we are to love one another, care for one another, encourage one another, support one another, give to one another, help one another, on and on. It is the mutual ministry that we have in the family of God. That's what it means to be a member of a family. You're not just a spectator in a church. You're a participator in a church. You're not on the outside looking at the family. You're on the inside as a family member.
Some of you may remember the words of the theme song for the TV show "Cheers". "Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got. Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot. Wouldn't you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name and they're always glad you came. You want to be where you can see our troubles are all the same. You want to be where everybody knows your name."
That is a description of the family of God, not a bar. When you go to a bar everybody doesn't want to know your name. But you get involved in a church small group and in that small group everybody wants to know your name. You figure out pretty soon that all our troubles are the same.
If you are a perfect person, you've got it all together, there's no sin in your life, you're perfect, go find another church. We don't need you here. No perfect people need apply at this church. On the other hand, if you are a big, bad sinner, come on down! This is the place. Be seated among the rest of our big, bad sinners. If you've got some hang-ups, you've got a few screws loose, a few eggs short of a full omelet, your elevator doesn't go all the way to the top, maybe you've got some bad habits, a somewhat shady thing you wish nobody would know about and you're trying to get rid of it, you've got some areas in your life that just aren't all together, this is the place for you. This is the place for people who have blown it and want to change, who want to grow, who want to make a difference, who admit that they don't have it all together. If you're that way, you’re welcome here. By the way, if you ever find a perfect church, please don't join it. The moment you join it, it won't be perfect anymore.
Why did God choose the family as an illustration of what it's like to be spiritually connected at a church? Because in a family, the members love each other. You don't have to like them all but you've got to love them.
How do you get connected? The scripture says "First they gave themselves to the Lord and then by God's will they gave themselves to us as well." First you commit your life to Christ, you become a part of God's family. And then you commit yourself to this local family and say, this is going to be my church home, my family.
From time to time you will hear a person say, I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian! How many of you have heard someone say that? People who say that have listened to a lie coming from the pit of hell! The bible tells us that Satan, the devil, is like a roaring lion prowling around looking for someone to devour. Do you know that when a lion is on the hunt it looks for the weak one lagging behind the herd, the young one not paying attention to the fact that it has left the herd, or the sick one walking off by itself? Isolation can be fatal. You may find a weak, barely alive, Christian whose life doesn’t look much different from the secular lifestyles around them saying I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian! But you won’t find a Christian who is totally in love with Jesus and dedicated to fulfilling Jesus’ plan and purpose for their life off by themselves saying I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian!
The bible says, you need to be connected to be a Christian—you need to be a brick in a building, a part of a body, a sheep in a flock and a member of a family. Not just for your own sake, but for the sake of others. Other people need what you have to give. You need what they have to give. Get connected!
Prayer: Father, next to salvation and forgiveness the greatest gift You've ever given us is the opportunity to be connected to Your building, Your body, Your flock, Your family. Thank You that we don't have to go through life disconnected, isolated. Thank You for creating this Forest Grove Church family for all of us. May we never take it for granted. In Your name I pray, Jesus. Amen.
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