INTRODUCTION
There is nothing more important to us in this life than relationships … a relationship with our Savior … relationships with our friends … relationship with family … relationships in church … relationships!
If there is something that I have noticed among teenagers it is this … they desire to belong!
Most young people today want to be CONNECTED to something or someone … they want to CONNECT with a member of the opposite sex … they want to CONNECT with a certain group … they want to CONNECT with the right people!
As Christians, we are COMMITTED TO CARING … CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER!
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:12, “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ.”
Young person … once you accept Christ into your heart YOU HAVE A DIVINE CONNECTION WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS!
Did you ever notice that a Christian will always find other Christians? And they will almost always greet each other with great affection or simple ‘God Bless You?’
Why? Because we are CONNECTED!
Psalm 95:7 reads, “… he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the sheep under his care.”
God has made a COMMITMENT to every person in this room tonight … TO CARE FOR YOU!
Now, to me that is a BIG deal … that the God of creation has become COMMITTED TO CARE for me and for you … for all of us!
And God has placed in our lives certain people that CARE for us … parents, brothers/sisters, family, friends, pastors … all of these have been placed in our lives to CARE for us because of the CONNECTION to us!
Some of you … may not have the privilege of a CARING family … or CARING friends … to each of you I want you to know that this Student Ministry is COMMITTED TO CARING FOR YOU!
Ronald Reagan had the unique ability to develop a great rapport with people, but he also had the ability to touch the hearts of the individuals closest to him. Former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan said that when the president used to return to the White House from long trips and the staff heard his helicopter landing on the lawn, everyone would stop working, and staff member Donna Elliott would say, “Daddy’s home!”
President Reagan who can’t even remember that he was the president of the United States … in his prime … was able to CARE for every person who worked with him!
Why was he able to CARE? Because he allowed himself to CONNECT with people!
ON A PERSONAL NOTE … I know that you guys hear it from me, but I don’t think that you hear it enough … I CARE FOR YOU … I have committed my time here at MSO to CARE for you … not just because I am called here … not just because I love my job … BUT BECAUSE I GENUINELY LIKE EACH OF YOU! I want to CONNECT with you … I want you to look into my life and when I go away or am on a trip and return that you say, “Daddy’s home.” Because you know that I am COMMITTED TO CARING FOR YOU! I LOVE YOU GUYS … ALL OF YOU!
Now some of you who have had some tough times and major let downs by people around you are going to have a hard time understanding REAL CARE … but I am committed to LIVING OUT 1 Corinthians 12:24 … “In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, while other parts do require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.”
If you are feeling like no one cares for me … just know that I am COMMITTED TO GIVE YOU EXTRA HONOR AND CARE … because YOU ARE IMPORTANT!
Friends … ALL OF US need to make the COMMITMENT TO CARE … because you never know what is going on in the mind of the person next to you!
LOOK AT THE PERSON TO YOUR RIGHT … look into their eyes … repeat after me … keep looking in their eyes … “I AM COMMITTED TO CARING FOR YOU … WE ARE CONNECTED.”
Young person, I really believe this … listen … If we cannot care for those in this Student Ministry, how can we expect God to give us MORE students to care for …
Now, don’t get me wrong I think we do a good job … but we can do it better … right?
Let me give you the 3 ATTITUDES you should have in order to CARE and CONNECT with people:
1.The Attitude of Love – this attitude is shown by placing that person and their needs over your own needs.
2.The Attitude of Confidence – this attitude is best revealed by you determining that you are going to be liked by those there and you are going to be friends.
3.The Attitude of Acceptance – this attitude is defined by your decision to like that person even though they are different.
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE IMPORTANT … WE SHOULD MAKE THEM FEEL IMPORTANT!
And that is why our guests and visitors should be the focus of CONNECTION … we may only have one shot at them feeling like we truly CARE about them … when you see a guest or someone who is visiting again … CONNECT WITH THEM with an attitude of love, confidence, and acceptance!
Some of you may be thinking: ‘Why is this CARING and CONNECTION so important that Pastor Todd is preaching a whole sermon on it?”
For this reason … “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar, for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And God himself has commanded that we must love not only him but our Christian brothers and sisters, too” (1 John 4:20-21).
John is saying to us … if we truly CARE for God then we will CONNECT with others … and if we are unwilling to CONNECT with others then it shows we do not truly CARE for God!
Tonight, I am going to share with you some thoughts on CARING AND CONNECTION because I believe that in the months ahead God is going to give us more students to CARE and CONNECT with … and we must be ready!!!
I. EVERYONE IS LOOKING TO CONNECT WITH SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE
I am not sure if you have noticed it or not, but everyone out there wants to CONNECT … to have relationship with someone … anyone!
Think about this … here are some ways that people try to CONNECT with other people:
1.Real friendships.
2.Spicy relationships (boyfriend/girlfriend)
3.Late Night “Phone Lines”
4.Dating Services
5.Church/Youth Groups
6.Sexual Intercourse
7.Social compromise of personal convictions
Everyone needs some kind of CONNECTION with someone else!
Proverbs 27:10 tells us to “never abandon a friend.”
Why? “If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble” (Ecclesiastes 4:10).
Whether you like it or not … we all need to CONNECT with someone … now I know someone in this room may think – “Me and God, that’s all I need.” To you I say … “God created us for close relationships with each other … YOU NEED PEOPLE!”
Why are relationships important today?
1.They provide a sense of belonging.
2.They help you feel secure in who you are.
3.They provide the ONLY way to establish friendships.
4.They help you fill the need to be needed.
Everyone is looking for CONNECTION … I think that ought to find it right here in this Student Ministry with young men and women that LOVE GOD!
II. CARING FOR PEOPLE IS HARD WORK … CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE IS A LIFE WORK
I want to be very honest with each of you tonight … CARING for people takes a lot of work … it will suck your emotions … drain you … and at times could even exhaust you spiritually!
CARING for people you do not like … that’s hard work!
CARING for people who do not like you … that’s hard work!
CARING for people who smell … look bad … and are not like you … that’s hard work!
In John 21, Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” Peter replied, “Of course I do.” Then Jesus responded, “If you love me, take CARE of my people (or my sheep).”
Young person, if you truly have a love for Jesus you will strive to CARE for God’s people!
CARING IS HARD WORK!
And as difficult as CARING is … CONNECTING requires your LIFE!
FACT … when you CONNECT your heart to someone else’s … it is for LIFE!
In the book of Philemon, you have this story of Onesimus and Paul … Onesimus had fallen away from the faith, but Paul poured his very life into this young man … listen … “I think of him as my own son because he became a believer as a result of my ministry here in prison … I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart … give him the same welcome you would give me. If he has harmed you in any way or stolen anything from you, charge me for it.” (vs 10, 12, 17-19)
Paul CONNECTED with Onesimus … so much that he called him his ‘own son’ … Paul devoted his life to CONNECTING with people … it was his LIFE work!
Young person … CARE FOR PEOPLE AND CONNECT WITH PEOPLE!
III. CARING SHOULD NOT JUST BE SAID, BUT SHOWN
You can say you CARE about someone until you are ‘blue in the face,’ but they will not believe it until they SEE THAT YOU CARE!
We can say that we are a loving, CARING Student Ministry, but it means nothing until they SEE IT!
1 John 3:18 reads, “Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions.”
CARE is only truly seen in our words and actions!
What are some practical ways that we can show someone we CARE?
1.SAY HELLO.
2.Ask how they are doing and really mean it!
3.Sit with a guest or visitor.
4.Send an anonymous card to someone and encourage them.
5.Pray with someone who is not yet your friend!
We must be the place that WE SHOW THAT WE CARE!
IV. CARING IS NOT ABOUT CLIQUES BUT IT IS ALL ABOUT CONNECTION
I know that there are people that we are VERY close to … people that we are more involved with … people that we are more connected to … and that’s ok …
But students who genuinely CARE for others will desire to make some sort of CONNECTION with people … and that does not mean you are best BUDS with everyone!
You just want to CONNECT with people … or at least CONNECT them to people!
Ephesians 4:16 says, “Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
You and I have been placed in this Student Ministry to be CONNECTED … you are a PERFECT FIT in this group!
It is because YOU are here that MSO is healthy and growing and full of love!
YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!
It is the desire of the leadership here at MSO that we CONNECT you to Christ … that we CONNECT you with strong leaders … and that we CONNECT you to other young people that LOVE GOD!
CONCLUSION
On Boss’s Day in 1994, a full page ad appeared in USA Today. It was contracted and paid for by the employees of Southwest Airlines, and it was addressed to Herb Kelleher, the company’s CEO:
“Thanks, Herb
For remembering everyone of our names
For supporting the Ronald McDonald House
For helping load baggage on Thanksgiving
For giving everyone a kiss (and we mean everyone)
For listening
For running the only profitable major airline
For singing at our holiday party
For singing only once a year
For letting us wear sneakers and shorts to work
For golfing at the LUV Classic with only one club
For outtalking Sam Donaldson
For riding your Harley Davidson into Southwest Headquarters
For being a friend, not just a boss
Happy Boss’s Day from Each One of Your 16,000 Employees”
Herb Kelleher made it his ambition to CONNECT and CARE for everyone … and for that reason he was recognized by people that would not normally call their boss a friend!
WORK HARD TO CARE FOR AND CONNECT WITH PEOPLE!!!
Because THIS place should be where young people feel CARED FOR … and where young people can make a LIFE LONG CONNECTION!
