SPIRITUALLY CONNECTED
Our prayer and plan is that today is our last Sunday as a group outside the sanctuary.
• It has been an adventure being outside Sunday after Sunday.
• On March 15th of last year, church was cancelled because of COVID-19.
• The following Sunday, March 22nd we held our 1st outdoor worship service.
• This is our 43rd outdoor service.
• We have been outside every Sunday with the exception of August 23rd which was an online only service while I was on vacation.
• We spent Easter Sunday outside – Christmas Sunday outside – warm days – hot days – cold, rainy, and snowy days outside.
But now a change is coming – we are planning to make a move back inside.
• It won’t be normal.
• Masks will be worn – pews roped off – social distancing followed – hand sanitizer used.
• The radio will still be available for those who wish to remain in the parking lot, and Facebook will still be streaming for those who wish to stay at home.
But, as we have been doing now for years – the Church will still be the Church!
• Although divided – we will still be as one.
• As the sign that I have pinned to the bulletin board just inside the door here says, “Physically distanced – Spiritually connected.”
• And, as the words to the hymn we sang earlier stated: “We are not divided – all one body we.”
And that’s what I want us to focus on this morning: Being Spiritually Connected.
I). I believe that to be spiritually connected is a God-given desire for the Christian.
A). There’s no “lone wolf” in the body of Christ.
• As Christians we have a deep desire for oneness and intimacy in relationships can only be met on a spiritual level.
• Our Spiritual connection is an eternal bond.
• We know this as we see that while we may be separated from one another in this life – we will live together with one another for all eternity.
B). God is a relational God – we see this in the mystery of the Trinity.
• We do not worship three Gods, but one - yet He is revealed to us in three different distinct persons, Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
• This oneness or connection begins with the Triune Godhead: Jesus said: “I and My Father are one!”
• The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, and therefore He is in unison with God the Father and God the Son.
C). One of the most profound prayers in the Bible is the one in John 17
• Jesus (God the Son), is praying to God the Father.
• Think about it – God is speaking His desire to Himself, and His prayer is for us.
• Listen to vv.20-22, 20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
• That prayer is a prayer for Spiritual Connection.
• Christ connecting with Himself as God – and we connecting with Him and with one another.
II). Over the past 10 ½ months we have experienced a different model of the Church.
A). It’s not like any other Church we have ever experienced.
• It’s church that’s gone beyond buildings, activities, Sunday School rooms, and fellowship gatherings.
• And I have missed all of these things – but I want you to realize that – even while we have been without them – the connection remains!
B). Remember, the church is a living organism - a spiritual unit!
• God is a Spirit and wants to be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth.
• And, as we have seen, the church is much more than just activities, programs, and buildings.
III). Psalm 133:1 in the God’s Word translation says, “See how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in harmony!”
A). Other translation say “unity” – we can also replaced it with the word “connection.”
• Spiritual connection (or unity) is one of the most important keys in revealing the Presence of God.
• When we are connected, God is here!
• Like in the book of Acts, powerful things happened to the church when they were together in unity, of one mind, heart and soul.
B). We see that in the formation of the Church itself in the book of Acts.
• Acts 1:14 the disciples are together in the Upper Room “constantly united in prayer.”
• Acts 2:1 while they were there, still in unity with one another, the Holy Spirit came upon them.
• Acts 2:42 All the believers devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship and prayer.
• Acts 2:46 “They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity.”
• Acts 4:32, All the believers were united in heart and mind. And it goes on and on and on…
IV). I want you to know and celebrate this morning that our Spiritual Connection is a gift!
A). It’s a precious gift to be treasured and protected.
• The New testament tells us again that we have been made one with Christ, and one with each other.
• That we have been adopted, grafted into the vine, and are a part of the one body of Christ.
B). And listen to the words of Ephesians 4:1-4,
• 1Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.
C). What’s the Holy Spirit saying here thru Paul?
• We cannot create, or work for unity, we can only preserve the Unity we received as a gift in Christ Jesus.
• We are already one…we are already in connection with Christ – and with one another – thru the Holy Spirit.
• It is up to us to “keep the connection.”
D). Look at Adam & Eve:
• They already were made in God’s image - they had communion and free fellowship with Him - they were already one. There was nothing else they needed to do!
• But they did have to keep the connection.
• When the devil came to them and told them that they could do even more – that they could in essence BE God themselves – they believed the lie.
• They disobeyed God – ate the fruit – and lost their connection, not only with God, but also with one another.
• In Genesis 3:16, God tells Eve, “And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”
V). So, how do we intentionally stay Spiritually Connected as we continue to be Physically Distanced?
We can look again to that new Church forming in the book of Acts.
A). The early church devoted themselves daily to the Word (Acts 2:42).
• They didn’t have a printed Bible in those days, so they relied on the teaching of the Apostles.
• Today we have our Bibles – the Word of God.
• The Word is a discerner, and when you study the Word prayerfully, it will transform you.
• Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
• To many the word doctrine is a bad word, but doctrine is important to preserve our spiritual connection.
• Being taught to think right, leads to believing right, and that leads to living right.
• This right-living reinforces our connection as the Church.
B). Serving one another preserves our Spiritual Connection.
• I spoke earlier of us being the Body of Christ.
• Remember that in a body there are no dead parts, no passive, inactive members! No spectators.
• In a body, every part exists for the sake of the other parts.
• The human body is a magnificent collection of individual parts functioning as one!
• It’s the same with the Spirit. There is no connection until each of us become more conscious of the other than we do ourself.
• The Bible tells us that we are not to seek after our interests, but the interests of others.
• 1 Corinthians 12 continues, “25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”
C). Finally, make yourself present even though you may not be physically present.
• The majority of the book of the New Testament are actually letters (epistles).
• Of the 27 books in the NT – 21 of them are letters! Most of them written by Paul.
• Letters were the only way of being present when you couldn’t be present! That was their Spiritual Connection!
• Although Paul was not present in the flesh, he was present in the spirit.
• This is what we have been experiencing since last March – and are continuing to experience today.
D). My friends, church goes beyond buildings, meetings and address lists.
• This is not an excuse for not meeting or attending church services, but as we have seen all during this pandemic:
o Worship has continued –
o Ministry has continued –
o Outreach has continued –
o Fellowship has continued –
o The Church has continued because we are spiritually connected despite being physically distanced.
My prayer is – that as we continue to open up old (or new) ways to worship, that we will remain one as the body of Christ.
Becoming more and more spiritually connected is a wonderful gift that God has made for us.
• Jesus prayed for our unity to continue.
• So let’s continue to worship – next week in three ways (a trinity of sorts) – inside the building, outside in the parking lot – and on Facebook live!
• Together or apart we are the family of God, and “how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in harmony!”
