SEND THAT SATELLITE IMAGE TO MY CELL PHONE
I would really like to know what cell phone service Jack Bauer [TV series “24”] subscribes to… He simply never loses his connection! In planes, in helicopters, in boats… No matter what the conditions are – he has a connection. Not only that – it is a good connection. Good enough that he can receive streaming images from satellites real-time.
But the idea in the movie is that he always has the support he needs. No matter how desperate the situation… He is connected to his team. He is connected to satellite coverage. When he needs to know something, the information always arrives on time. When he needs help, backup always arrives on time.
How many of you have cell phones? Isn’t it amazing how cell phones have become a necessity? It wasn’t that long ago that people still wrote letters! But technology has made it so much easier to communicate. Although – some research has shown that very advanced technologies existed long ago.
Some German archeologist were excavating the ruins of a castle last year, and found traces of copper wire that were over 1000 years old. They believed they found the remains of an early telephone system.
After that discovery, Italian scientists began to examine traces of optical fibers that they found beneath ruins of temples that were built around the time of Christ. They announced that in Rome, their ancestors had advanced high-tech digital telephones 1000 years before the Germans.
Not to be outdone, the English began digging beneath ancient druid ruins off the northern coast. After digging to 100 meters, they found nothing. The London papers announced that apparently, over 3000 years ago, their ancestors were already using wireless technology!
…Blonde with cell phone…. “How did you know I was at Wal-Mart?”
From the standpoint of technology, we are living in the most connected world in history. But from a social standpoint, we are more disconnected than ever. We are connected – but to what? To whom?
Jack Bauer is successful because he has connections. He knows the right people. He has the right friends. He’s always in touch with his team.
Ephesians 4:6 is the theme scripture for ConnectPoint. Let’s read it again, starting at verse 1 this time.
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Eph 4:1-6 (NKJV)
PRISONER OF THE LORD
Some translations say prisoner for the Lord – as if Paul is writing of his physical captivity. But the Greek word here is translated most frequently in, sometime by, sometimes with. Rarely is it translated of or for…
The word prisoner has the same root word as the word bond in v 3.
- prisoner – gr desmios in bonds
- bond – gr syndesmios bond, band
Let’s use some of the other words used in translation: “I, in bonds BY the Lord”… “I, in bonds IN the Lord”… “I, in bonds WITH the Lord”….
Paul was indeed a prisoner of Rome during this time. But he was speaking in this context of a very different bond. He was not speaking of the chain that bound him to a Roman soldier. He was speaking of the chain that bound him to Christ.
- Paul: Throw me in the darkest dungeon…
- Joseph: Toss me in the deepest pit…
- John: Exile me on a desert island…
- Jonah: Stick me in the belly of a whale…
- All: Can you hear me now? Good!
David:
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. Psalms 139:7-10 (NKJV)
So in short, Paul is saying, “I, as one that is inseparably bound with Christ, urge you to think and live like you are inseparably bound to us”.
HOW DO CONNECTED PEOPLE ACT?
[note: in this next section, I used a pair of toy handcuffs. I handcuffed myself to a volunteer, and illustrated how I had to implement each of the following qualities to avoid hurting each other]
- Humility
- Gentleness
- Mercy
- try to work in Harmony
HOW DOES THE CONNECTION WORK?
What is the bond of peace? Paul goes on to describe the basis of the New Covenant: “There is one body and one Spirit.”
The difference between the Old and New Covenant is a man.
- God sent forth his Son – God was manifest in Flesh
- There is one Man, and one God
- We are saved in the Man – We are connected in the man
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 1 Tim 2:5 (NIV)
HOW DOES SOMEONE GET CONNECTED?
- We are CALLED “… called in one hope of your calling…”
We spoke of this in the first message in the series. The strength of the calling… Out of all the people in the world – you are here. It’s not by accident.
- By ONE MASTER “… one Lord…”
Jesus is the only way. “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6)
- We BELIEVE “… one faith…”
Heb 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him”
Politicians – “many faiths” Not so. There is only one. Paul presents these steps in this order for a reason – you can’t have faith until you have identified the one Lord. And using him as the focal point – our faith will lead us to the same conclusion.
- We are BAPTIZED “… one baptism…”
Baptism is an integral part of connecting. We invite people to examine their baptism when they are interested in becoming members. Why? Our immersion in water is significant of our immersion into the body. We are buried with him. Dust to dust. The most significant work of creation – completed so that the Spirit can continue the work.
Baptism: what the church does… We know who your father is – but who is your mother?
We cannot have the unity of the spirit until we have unity in baptism.
Up to this point – we have talked about the body. We have talked about the human aspect of becoming connected. You respond to the call. You identify the man. You believe in the man. You are baptized into the man. In this process we all come together in one body.
Here’s the beautiful thing. There’s not just one body. This whole connected thing works because there is one body and one Spirit! You see – the body that we are baptized into – the body that we are buried with – is resurrected by the Spirit of God. Having been baptized into the body, we are promised a resurrection in the Spirit. (Act 2:38)
The redemption of all that we are doing here today is found in Eph 4:6. This is what makes it all worthwhile. “For there is one God…”
THE CONNECTED LIFE
That God is the FATHER OF ALL, the source of all things
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. Col 1:16 (NIV)
That God is still ABOVE ALL. He is still there – his perspective is what we need.
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9 (NIV)
That God is still THROUGH ALL. He is still involved in every detail.
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, Matt 6:30 (NIV)
Finally – all is complete when that God is IN YOU ALL.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:11 (NKJV)
HOW DOES THIS HELP ME FULFILL MY MISSION?
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 1 Cor 3:6 (NKJV)
You are not an island unto yourself. We are all an important part of a team.
