Connecting to Community Part two
Selected Scriptures
Introduction-
Last week we started a series called Vital Connections.
These connections are the people and things that we hold important.
We live in a society that doesn’t want connection. People want freedom! The freedom to say and do what they want, when they want, in the way they want.
God tells us to be connected not to the world, but to Him and His church.
He tells us that isolation actually is not good for you and can destroy you if you will let it.
The two main connections that God desires for us are to connect to Him and to His church.
(1) He wants an Intimate relationship that doesn’t allow anything or anyone between you and the Lord.
(2) Good connection between each of us and God’s people.
I heard this week at our Bountiful Blessing session as a family was filling out an application that they were “very spiritual” but they did not want to attend any church. I had to bite my lip, it took everything I had not to let that person know that you cannot be very spiritual and not go to church.
Impossible because what he thought was being spiritual was actually disobedience.
The one most use is that churches are only after my money. I have to tell you there is a lot of ways to make money that would be easier and less time consuming.
Where they are disobedient is not only in robbing God of His tithes and offerings, but they rob God of their time and their talents. These are the two things that allow you to make a living and supply for your family.
You also cannot get past our text from last week-
Hebrews 10:25-
“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the day approaching.”
I need you! You need me! We need each other.
No man is an island, and you cannot have community without people.
I told you last week that I was going to stretch you a little bit.
I will again stretch your thinking and prayerfully stretch your obedience to the things of God.
Society looks at church as place you get married- they don’t want God in their lives but they want God to bless their marriages and enjoy the surroundings of church.
When they die- they had no time for God while living, but in transition, want the preacher to say nice things about them and promise them a perfect safe place for eternity.
Some visit on special occasions and holidays- that is church
(invests nothing, but want a dividend check sent ahead.)
You saw last week that church is not a building; it is each one of us.
We gather together to worship, we pray that God would show up in the service. If each one of us believers are filled with His Holy Spirit, and each of us is part of the body of Christ- we ought to be praying and thanking God for what He is about to do because we know that He is at every service.
We are to meet together, we are to worship together, and we are to encourage each other. That is what God’s word says- there is no stutter in His voice and not left to what we think about it.
We (church) are a vital connection for each other.
Think about this;
6 days a week, some sow their wild oats. Sunday they pray that the crop fails.
Some are waiting for that perfect church. Stop looking. Where people are involved, there won’t be perfection. Besides, if you and I start going, it won’t be perfect anymore.
Until God’s people see the church as it was intended to be, we will miss the blessings that God has for His church.
Some leave because of the pastor. He couldn’t preach. He didn’t come visit me, he disciplined me and I didn’t care for that. Pastors aren’t perfect. There forgiven just like you are.
If a church wants a better pastor, it can have one by praying for the one they have. I ask everyone of you to be praying for your pastor. Pray that I would be all that God wants me to be. Pray we accomplish all that God wants us to do.
The word church- Greek word “Ekklessia” appears 114 times. 111 times in the NT it is used in the technical service of the body of Christ. Church does not appear in the OT, yet it means the same as congregation which is used in OT.
Acts 20:28
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”
Be shepherds, overseers, the elders and pastors are to teach and equip and God’s people are to gather and be discipled.
It’s been said
“you can be committed to a church, but not committed to Christ, but you cannot be connected to Christ and not committed to a church.”
I told you last week that God’s idea of the church was
Place of redemption- a place where sinners come and find that relationship with God.
Place of discipleship- people at all works of life at different levels of relationship with God can come and learn the things of God.
Place of commitment- a place where the people of God commit to the Lord and each other.
Place of service- The Lord teaches, equips believers for service. Everyone plays a part.
Repetition is good for memory. If you weren’t here it is new, and if you were here it is a good reminder.
If we are going to be obedient and do what the Lord has commanded.
Here is what we need to do.
I. Come together (one point message today)
That sounds easy, but it is hard for us.
You and I were not meant to go it alone.
We were made for a relationship with God and we were made for a relationship with each other.
The disciples did not teach isolation, they were taught that to accept Christ is to become a part of the family, to be part of the body of Christ.
Why was I upset when I heard a person say he/she is religious, but not wanting any church, it is not biblical, when you do that you are disconnected from the very family that God says you need to survive.
A part of the body disconnected from God dies and cannot experience God’s purpose for their lives.
“Let us not give up meeting together” that is the reason he says we have to come together.
We will spiritually die isolated.
Rick Warren
“The bible says that we are put together, joined together, built together, members together, heirs together, fitted together, held together, and we will be caught up together and spend eternity together.
To me there is no room for isolation and there is no way we could survive on our own.
illustration
Series Gilligan island, some remember the original show and some have to watch reruns. Stop and think about this movie, a bunch of people got on a boat for a trip that changed their lives.
Just sit right back
and you'll hear a tale
A tale of a fateful trip,
That started from this tropic port,
Aboard this tiny ship.
The mate was a mighty sailin' man,
The Skipper brave and sure,
Five passengers set sail that day,
For a three hour tour,
A three hour tour.
The weather started getting rough,
the tiny ship was tossed.
If not for the courage of the fearless crew
The Minnow would be lost.
The Minnow would be lost.
Not that I am a singer, but I want you to know this is a good example of community.
Skipper
Millionaire
Movie star
Professor
Crazy and not perfect Gilligan
They make up a family, a community. They worked together, they played together, they didn’t always see eye to eye, but they did not give up on each other. They made it because they did not go solo, they helped each other.
Thank God, our church is better than that. Thank God we have the Lord to help us and supply for us.
The early church made no distinction between church and life. They were connected together.
They meet together, they came together, Daily. They became a community because the spent time together. They had contact each week.
Some need to make a connection with people in the church.
They met as a group for worship and they met and spent time during the week.
Some need to open up their homes and some need to respond to friend requests.
Friendship can go to the next level over a meal.
In their culture, a meal was never simply a meal. To eat with someone communicated deep and sincere acceptance of that person.
You have to find common ground! You have to be intentional.
When something is happening at church, be supportive. Be a part of it. When you can use your talents and resources get involved. We can journey together and we can encourage and help each other along the way. Stop looking for someone else to do it, you do it.
The church family can accomplish great things for the kingdom of God. The church family can help each other journey home and be an encouragement to us. We need each other! That is the way that Jesus set up the church.
Next week, we finish the series with reaching out to the community. Reaching out to people that need Jesus but have no time for Jesus. What we can do, we all play a part.
Amen.
